Not only did the San Francisco 49ers get eliminated by the hated Seattle Seahawks last season, they had to sit at home and watch as Seattle won the Super Bowl in Levi’s Stadium.
Star linebacker Fred Warner was actually at the game serving as an analyst and was asked about that on Monday.
His answer reflects how many fans feel although he put it more diplomatically than many fans would:
“It wasn’t ideal, that’s for sure. You know I was actually here, having to witness it all while I was having to do the broadcasting for that game… Then winning a Super Bowl last year has no effect or bearing on what we do going forward. It’s always a loss in our eyes when we’re not the ones winning.”
Fred Warner on the Seahawks winning the Super Bowl at Levi's.
— KNBR (@KNBR) April 20, 2026
"It wasn't ideal. That's for sure... it is what it is. Them winning a Super Bowl last year has no effect or bearing on what we do going forward. It's always a loss in our eyes when we're not the ones winning it." pic.twitter.com/UgJ6qcPN5g
It was a mature response from Warner, but it seems obvious that it has to be eating away at him and other players on the team. Not only did the 49ers get bounced from the playoffs by Seattle, they also lost to the Seahawks in Week 18 at Levi’s in a game that determined who the No. 1 seed in the NFC would be. The Seahawks jammed it up in the locker room after the game and certainly gave the Niners some bulletin board material for this upcoming season.
The nice thing is that the Niners had a good offseason and should be in a much better position to compete with the Seahawks next season. The biggest thing is they got healthy. Warner was making a valiant attempt to return for the playoffs, and it’s worth nothing that San Francisco beat Seattle in Week 1 when it had a healthy Warner and Nick Bosa on defense.
They also added Mike Evans and Christian Kirk who should be huge for the offense's passing game. Bringing back Dre Greenlaw gives the defense a nice boost as well, so the roster is positioned well to make a run at the NFC West crown if it has a solid draft this week.
Warner was clearly itching to get back last season after breaking his ankle, so the fact he has to wait the whole offseason to get back on the field in a real game has to be eating away at him.
He made it clear that it was not fun watching Seattle win at Levi’s, but it wouldn’t be a shock if Warner came out and had a career year in 2026. He’s age 29 now, which is a concern as linebacker is an unforgiving position, but he is still in his prime. And if the All-Pro stays healthy, he could make a lot of teams, including the Seahawks, pay.
Having Greenlaw, his partner in crime, back by his side should give him a nice boost as well. San Francisco has a strong linebacker room between those two and Dee Winters, so if they can be the heart and soul of the defense, that will make new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris’ job much much easier.
Expect Warner to use everything that happened last season, from the injury to the Seahawks winning it all in Santa Clara, to fuel him going forward.
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