The San Francisco 49ers have impressively overcome the myriad of injuries they've sustained thus far in the 2025 NFL campaign. Nevertheless, the absence of star linebacker Fred Warner has been felt and looms large over the club's Super Bowl LX aspirations.
Warner's teammate/positional counterpart, Luke Gifford, said it best in wake of the Niners losing their defensive linchpin to a broken and dislocated right ankle: "You don't replace Fred Warner."
Everyone knows what Warner means to the organization and the Bay Area at large, though the show goes on. General manager John Lynch and the franchise must march onward to preserve their championship hopes.
With that in mind, the New Orleans Saints' Demario Davis makes for an ideal target ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline.
Saints' Demario Davis makes for perfect 49ers trade target post-Fred Warner injury
CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones reported that his sources "could see the Saints moving on from" Davis (and edge defender Cameron Jordan). The insider then proceeded to mention San Francisco as a viable destination, presumably because of Warner's season-ending ailment:
"If [Davis is] dealt, New Orleans will try to find a contending team where [he] can land," Jones wrote. "The 49ers make sense ..."
Again, it cannot be overstated how indispensable Warner is to the 49ers; there's no one-for-one alternative for him. However, Davis is about as close as you can get to filling his void, especially on such short notice. San Francisco must not let the the opportunity to acquire the latter pass it by, should the Saints shop him.
Davis' experience and status as a respected leader are two of his most valuable traits. Moreover, he's firmly established himself as one of the best and most versatile off-ball linebackers in the league. The 14-year pro has blossomed into a perennial All-Pro and team captain since joining the Saints in 2018.
Sound familiar, 49er Faithful? A lot of the qualities that make Davis great can be said about Warner. Of course, there are levels to the game, though their skill sets are similar.
With Davis, age 36, slated for unrestricted free agency this offseason, recouping assets for him is a logical move for a rebuilding 1-6 Saints squad. He's still highly productive, amassing 61 tackles (five for loss), one quarterback hit, one pass deflection and one forced fumble (and a recovery). The veteran field general's 81.1 overall Pro Football Focus grade ranks 17th out of 142 qualified linebackers.