The San Francisco 49ers have already clinched a spot in the playoffs, and now they have given Brock Purdy great news, as the club may recover a player who was expected to miss the entire season for the most important part of the year.
Injuries have hit the 49ers hard. In recent years, the club has struggled to maintain a healthy roster, but that hasn’t prevented the Niners from remaining competitive.
Earlier this year, star linebacker Fred Warner suffered a fractured and dislocated ankle. The injury was expected to sideline him for the entire season, but the club has now provided a key update ahead of the playoffs.
GM John Lynch believes Fred Warner could be ready for the playoffs
There is no doubt that the 49ers have had bad luck when it comes to injuries. Several players on both sides of the ball have dealt with health issues, but the club has managed to overcome those setbacks.
On October 12, the 49ers were dealt a major blow when Fred Warner suffered a serious ankle injury that was expected to end his season. However, the organization never completely ruled out a potential return.
General manager John Lynch has now shared a positive update on Brock Purdy’s teammate. Lynch revealed that Warner’s recovery has gone better than expected and believes the linebacker could rejoin the team for the playoffs.
“It would be well ahead of the original timeline we were given, but Fred has the ability to move the doctors because they’re going to put objective measurements out there where, ‘Hey, if you can reach these, you can get there,’” Lynch said, via NBCSportsBayArea.com. “And Fred has continually done that. I think it’s made a lot of people kind of re-examine. ‘OK, would this be possible?’ And I think that’s a great thing. So I’m watching him. I’ve consistently said it: I won’t put anything past him.”
The 49ers can still clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC
San Francisco has been one of the more surprising teams this season. Despite dealing with multiple injuries to key players, the 49ers hold an impressive 11–4 record and still have the opportunity to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
To do so, the 49ers would need to win out, defeating the Chicago Bears and the Seattle Seahawks—their two direct rivals in the race for the top spot in the conference.