Fred Warner's level of play in his third year in the NFL has not gone unnoticed. Last week, the 49ers linebacker garnered votes from fans, coaches and his peers around the league to earn his first-career nod into the Pro Bowl. Warner's production continued as he received NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors following his Week 16 performance against the Arizona Cardinals.
Warner led the team with 14 total tackles and notched three passes defended, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and was tied for a team-high four run stops. His three pass breakups are tied for the most of any linebacker in a game in the NFL this season. Of his 12 targets against the Cardinals, Warner allowed just seven catches for 57 yards.
According to Pro Football Focus, Warner's overall grade on the season (89.1) and coverage grade (91.6) are the highest among all linebackers in the NFL. His Week 16 outing also earned him a spot on the analytics site's "Team of the Week."
Appearing in all 15 games for San Francisco, Warner has amassed a team-high 115 total tackles (71 solo), two interceptions, six passes defended, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and five quarterback hits.
This is Warner's second Player of the Week honor. His first came in Week 12 of the 2019 season, as the linebacker registered 11 solo tackles, one of which went for a loss, a sack, two quarterback hurries, nine total stops and a forced fumble that set the tone early in San Francisco's 37-8 victory over the Green Bay Packers.
