San Francisco 49ers star linebacker Fred Warner didn’t completely close the door on the possibility of returning for San Francisco’s upcoming Divisional Round matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.
Warner has been sidelined since he suffered a fractured ankle against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 12. He returned to practice in a limited capacity on Wednesday.
"We're taking it day by day," Wagner said about a potential return this weekend. "I think they said last week they weren't going to open my window, and then my window is now open. So yeah, we're just taking it day by day."
Wagner is obviously eager to return to game action and the Niners are eager to have him back, but he made it clear that he’s not going to return unless he’s been completely cleared and in no danger of elevated re-injury risk.
"Everything up to this point has been in direct communication with the doctors, the trainers, everybody involved with my surgery," Warner said. "Nothing up to this point has been done just out of just, 'Hey man, let's just go out and do it.'... Everything is scientifically based, right? So anytime you step out there on a football field... That's what this game is, a violent game. But at the same time, I'm not going to go out there and put myself at an added risk if I'm not ready."
The Niners have been able to make it this far without Wagner. So while having him back would be an absolute luxury, it’s not a necessity. They went on the road and won in a hostile environment in Philadelphia last weekend, and they’re capable of doing the same this weekend in Seattle, with or without Wagner.
The matchup between the Niners and Seahawks is set to kick off on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 8:00 p.m. ET from Lumen Field in Seattle. Keep an eye out for additional updates regarding Warner’s status as we get closer to game time.
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