Bhan-🚨 49ers Get Blunt Message From Jason Garrett on Fred Warner’s Injury 😳🏈Former Cowboys coach Jason Garrett didn’t hold back when asked about the 49ers’ defensive leader going down. His words were direct, emotional, and brutally honest.

Fred Warner of the San Francisco 49ers

It was a costly 30-19 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the San Francisco 49ers. Fred Warner will miss the rest of the season after dislocating and breaking his ankle in the 49ers’ loss to Tampa Bay, 

head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed.

The injury happened in the first quarter when a teammate inadvertently struck Warner’s right leg while the 49ers were pursuing Buccaneers running back Rachaad White.

As for San Francisco, the question is, what’s next? The team already lost Nick Bosa for the season, and now Warner. Despite the latest injury news for the 49ers being disastrous for their defense, former NFL head coach Jason Garrett believes the franchise has the coaching staff to overcome Warner’s absence.

“If any team can handle it, they can,” Garrett said on the October 12 edition of “Football Night in America.” “Kyle Shanahan, as good as there is, not only as a head coach but as an offensive guy, and Robert Saleh the same way on the other side. But when Fred Warner is out of the lineup, I’ll tell you what—you become a different team.”

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49ers React to Losing Fred Warner

On a young defensive unit, Warner was that steady veteran presence that could guide the players in the right direction. Now, some of them will need to begin flying solo out on the field.

After the loss, several 49ers players commented on seeing Warner go down and now not having his presence on the team going forward for the rest of the 2025 NFL.

“It’s heartbreaking,” left tackle Trent Williams said after the loss to the Buccaneers (h/t Nick Wagoner of ESPN). “Fred, not only is he one of the best linebackers to ever play the game, but he is the heart and soul of this team, not just the heart and soul of this defense.

“It’s one thing to see somebody go down and go to the blue tent, and nobody really knows what’s going on. When you see a guy that’s injured like that, it’s really like a gut punch. It’s really hard to continue the intensity 

and playing that game like that never happened.”

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Injuries Begin to Stack Up for 49ers

Warner’s injury resonated beyond the Niners’ locker room. Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield began his postgame news conference by sending thoughts and prayers to Warner, a message that Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles 

also shared.

“It was sickening,” Bowles said (h/t Nick Wagoner of ESPN). “He’s one of the best players in the league. A great guy on top of that. You hate to see something like that happen. Hopefully, he has a speedy recovery. That kind of breaks your heart, no matter what side of the ball you’re on.”

For the 49ers, bouncing back after Warner’s injury will be even tougher with key defensive injuries. Bosa tore the ACL in his right knee in Week 3 and is out for the season.

San Francisco now faces the final 11 games without one of their top defenders while also dealing with injuries to tight end George Kittle (hamstring), quarterback Brock Purdy (toe), and receivers Ricky Pearsall (knee), Brandon Aiyuk (knee), and Jennings (ankle, ribs, shoulder).

How Seahawks’ Klint Kubiak handles next challenge might expose something deeper

Klint Kubiak is doing a very good job as the Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator so far in 2025. Instead of former OC Ryan Grubb’s lack of efficiency in the red zone, Kubiak’s offense is eighth in the NFL in touchdown percentage in the red zone, and first in yards per play (6.3).

Grubb’s offense was ranked 15th in red zone percentage, for instance, something that crippled the offense in important games. The former OC seemed to have no imagination in short-yardage situations, and that is one reason he is no longer with the team.

Kubiak is young (he is 38 years old) and smart, and trending toward being on the short-lists of head coach-needy teams. That is, of course, if the offense continues to play at a high level. Doing so will be a challenge in Week 7 against the Houston Texans.

Klint Kubiak and the Seattle Seahawks offense will be tested against the Houston Texans

Houston stumbled to a 0-3 start this season, after winning the AFC South in each of the last two seasons. The Texans appear to have corrected the ship in the last two games, however, as in successive weeks they have smacked the Tennessee Titans 26-0 and the Baltimore Ravens 44-10.

A big reason for the Texans’ recent success is their defense. Houston has a good quarterback in the person of C.J. Stroud, but if Seattle can get key players such as Devon Witherspoon and Julian Love back for Week 7, the Seahawks should be fine in that facet.

Seattle might need to win a low-scoring contest, though. While the Jacksonville Jaguars have a good defense, Houston is better. The Texans are easily first in the NFL in fewest points allowed per game at 12.2. Houston is fourth in fewest yards per play (4.7), first in quarterback rating allowed (70.4), and eighth in fewest yards per rushing attempt (3.9).

Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba also might be covered quite a bit by Derek Stingley Jr., one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. That could limit JSN’s targets, which means another receiver is going to have to step up.

The best way for that to happen is for Klint Kubiak to game-plan for other players to elevate their production. Cooper Kupp is sure-handed, but not explosive anymore. Rookie Tory Horton is explosive, but inconsistently. At least, tight end AJ Barner has been great through six games.

The Seattle Seahawks have also been inconsistent in their rushing attack, and there is no reason that suddenly gets much better against Houston. 12s might see more of the bullish Zach Charbonnet getting carries than the more explosive but less attacking Kenneth Walker III.

Whatever happens will come down to how well Kubiak gets quarterback Sam Darnold and the offense ready. If the group gets 30 points, people are going to notice. Not just how good Seattle might be in 2025, but general managers looking for a new head coach next offseason and believing Klint Kubiak can be that guy.