One season after watching rookie linebacker Reuben Foster make his much-anticipated debut, 49ers’ fans may have had a déjà vu moment when third-round linebacker Fred Warner stepped on the field in Minnesota.
With Foster out for a two-game suspension, linebacker Malcolm Smith down with an injury, Warner was thrust into the MIKE linebacker role and he didn’t shy away. The 49ers’ rookie star finished with 12 tackles, one quarterback hit, one tackle for loss, one pass defensed and one forced fumble.
After the game, Warner added “Yeah, communication-wise, I feel that it was no problem.