SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Late in the 2024 season, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner was engaged in a wide-ranging conversation about his place among the game's best linebackers.

Warner was asked if he could name the three off-ball linebackers who have won the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year Award. Before the question is even fully asked, Warner rattled off the names: Ray Lewis, Brian Urlacher and Luke Kuechly.

At the time, Warner had a small fracture in his ankle but was still playing near his usual, All Pro level. Warner believed he was playing the best football of his career in a season where nothing went right for the 49ers.

Fast forward roughly 10 months and Warner insisted last week that he was playing even better through the first five games of 2025 -- and his name w

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