49ers Sign Fred Warner to a Five-Year, $95 Million Extension

This is a good deal for both sides.

The best middle linebacker in the NFL will remain in Santa Clara for quite some time.

The 49ers just extended Fred Warner's contract through 2026, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, who reports that Warner's extension is worth $95 million with $40.5 million worth of guarantees.

This is a good deal for both sides, as it keeps the leader of the defense under team control for at least another half decade, and it makes Warner the highest-paid linebacker in the league. Previously, the highest-paid linebacker was Seattle's Bobby Wagner, who makes $18 million per season. Which means $19 million per season for Warner is more than fair -- it's the going rate for a player of Warner's caliber.

Warner does everything well. He's terrific against the run, and even better in pass coverage. He's the best coverage linebacker in the league. Plus he calls the 49ers defensive plays and is smarter than most NFL quarterbacks. There's no one else like him.

The 49ers drafted Warner in the third round of the 2018 draft -- he's one of the 49ers most successful draft picks of the past few years along with tight end George Kittle, who was a fifth-round pick in 2017. Both were mid-round selections who greatly exceeded expectations.

In three seasons, the 49ers have paid Fred Warner just $2.9 million for elite linebacker play. And Warner never has missed a game. Which means he earned roughly $60,000 per game the first three seasons of his career.

Now, he'll earn roughly $1 million per game if he plays out the entirety of this historic extension.

Good for Warner. He deserves this.