Fred Warner's LB replacement wants to 'pump the brakes' on the All-Pro's return

Cameron Belcher

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Fred Warner's LB replacement wants to 'pump the brakes' on the All-Pro's return image

As many NFL fans know, San Francisco 49ers starting and All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner suffered a dislocated and fractured right ankle in Week 6 and was expected to miss the remainder of the season.

However, with exceptional play and injury management, the 49ers find themselves competing against the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round of the playoffs after knocking off the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round.

The practice window has officially been opened for Warner, and he was a limited participant on Tuesday. Reports have also surfaced that Warner will likely return to the field for the NFC Championship if the Niners can beat Seattle.

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Teammate Eric Kendricks, who was signed as a replacement, advises everyone not to be too quick to look forward to Warner's return.

`Kendricks wants the team to remain focused on the Seahawks

During his locker room presser on Tuesday, the former Viking opened up asking, "We're aren't going to talk about next week, right? We got Seattle man!"

Kendricks followed up, saying, "We got to beat them, let's pump our brakes," before closing his statement with, "This is what meaningful football is all about."

Aside from the reality of having fewer snaps when the All-Pro comes back, Kendricks makes a great point, because if the Niners are not able to win over Seattle on Saturday, their season will be over, and they won't see Warner return until next season.

Unsurprisingly, San Francisco is heading into the game as the underdog, but that doesn't mean much to them, considering they have been the underdog for most of the season, especially with the injuries on defense. Still, if they pull off the upset one more time, their All-Pro captain will be waiting on them.

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Senior Editor