They say when it rains, it pours. Right now, the injury report for the San Francisco 49ers is flooding, and the latest victim it claimed was linebacker Fred Warner.
With a season-ending injury, Warner will not be available for the remainder of San Francisco's schedule. It was bad enough to lose defensive end Nick Bosa a few weeks ago, but now, the 49ers are without their two biggest defensive stars.
Warner has been one of the more durable players for the Niners despite the multiple rounds of injuries the locker room has sufferedover the years. Entering this season, San Francisco's star linebacker had 897 total tackles, 10 sacks, and 10 interceptions while missing just one start since going pro back in 2018.
However, there might be an option that makes sense for San Francisco, financially, and falls more in sync with its timeline.
Look no further than New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis.
Demario Davis is the ideal short-term replacement for Fred Warner
A lucrative name is a former player in Azeez Al-Shaair. He is familiar with both head coach Kyle Shanahan and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
Al-Shaair is younger and could cost San Francisco more on the trade market. The former Niner is 28 years old, whereas Davis is eight years older at age 36.
Davis has more than 50 tackles on the season after six games for the Saints. He also has forced a fumble and recovered another.
In the Week 2 game against the 49ers, Davis racked up 11 total tackles and two stuffs, both are also season-highs. The 14-year veteran has not sacked an opposing quarterback yet this year, but has done so 44.5 times in his career, including back-to-back seasons with 6.5 sacks in 2022 and 2023.
During the 2019 season, Davis defended 12 passes, a career best in any year that the linebacker has played. The former Arkansas State athlete is a free agent after this season and might only cost the Niners a third-day selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, particularly with a scuffling NOLA squad aiming to get as many future assets as possible.
Thus, Davis makes a perfect one-year rental replacement for Warner and takes pressure off San Francisco's other linebackers, including rookie linebacker Nick Martin. The Saints veteran could help the 49ers with their depth chart as the NFC West leaders are a tad thin behind Dee Winters, Luke Gifford, and Tatum Bethune.
The 2025 NFL trade deadline is at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 4.