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49ers LB Fred Warner is a "First-Ballot Hall of Famer" Says Robert Saleh

It's tough to disagree with what Jets head coach Robert Saleh said about 49ers All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner.

Jose Luis Sanchez III

Sep 9, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh (left) greets San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner (right) after the game at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Sep 9, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh (left) greets San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner (right) after the game at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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Fred Warner was a menace for the San Francisco 49ers against the New York Jets.

Warner registered a forced fumble early in the game to create momentum for the 49ers. That was his highlight play, but Warner was all over the place defending the run-and-pass attack of the Jets. He showed no remorse in that game to his former defensive coordinator, Jets head coach Robert Saleh.

A performance like that is what led Saleh to give him a significant honor.

“Fred is, I’ll go ahead and say it, the guy is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. I don’t know if a lot of people recognize that, but he is,” Saleh said (h/t Pro Football Talk). “At times during the game it felt like there were three of him out there, the way he was running around. It was a different feeling being on the opposite sideline for the first time ever in his career to watch it.

"He did a lot of things. There were a couple of plays that are touchdowns versus 25 other teams, and he came out of nowhere to save it. So, credit to him, he’s an unbelievable football player, but our run game was damn close, just like the passing game was close. But obviously we didn’t get the opportunities we wanted.”

Warner was one player that Saleh always spoke so highly of when he was with the 49ers. The same goes for Warner. So much of his growth can be credited to Saleh. He helped the 49ers identify that it is best to convert Warner, a safety in a college, into a linebacker. Now, he's become an All-Pro caliber player.

The 49ers don't always get it right when they switch a player's position, but with Warner, they struck gold. Saleh plays a significant role in that. It's great that he gave such honorable praise to Warner. He doesn't get nearly enough hype and recognition that he deserves.

For him to be called a future "first-ballot Hall of Famer" must give Warner goosebumps whenever it gets back to him.

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Jose Luis Sanchez III

JOSE LUIS SANCHEZ III

Jose Luis Sanchez III has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily for FanNation since 2019. He started off as the lead publisher for FanNation's All49ers, then switched positions to become the Deputy Editor in 2020. Sanchez writes, edits, and produces videos daily for All49ers. He also co-hosts a show on YouTube with All49ers lead publisher Grant Cohn weekly. Prior to FanNation, Sanchez started his writing career back in 2016 for the school newspaper at Skyline college where he covered all sports team in the Bay Area. Following that from 2017 to 2019, he found a role as a contributor for FanSided's news desk along with their site's Just Blog Baby covering the Las Vegas Raiders and Golden Gate Sports every professional Bay Area sports team. Atop all of that, he was able to graduate with a Bachelors degree in Communication Studies at San Francisco State University in 2020. Sanchez is committed to ensuring he delivers transparent analysis and straightforward opinions that resonates with readers to get them thinking.

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