Report: 49ers make Warner highest-paid LB with 5-year, $95M extension
The San Francisco 49ers and All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner agreed to a five-year extension worth $95 million, including $40.5 million guaranteed, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Warner's new $19-million average annual salary makes him the highest-paid linebacker in NFL history, passing Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner's $18 million, according to Spotrac.
Warner, who was entering the last year of his rookie deal, has been one of football's most consistent defenders since entering the league as a third-round pick in 2018.
The 24-year-old has yet to miss a contest through three NFL seasons and is averaging 122 tackles, seven pass breakups, and two forced fumbles per 16 games played. He earned his first career Pro Bowl berth in 2020.
Warner is also considered one of the premier off-ball defenders in the league. He was PFF's highest-graded linebacker in coverage last season, allowing a passer rating of only 69.7 when targeted - the lowest mark of his career.
The BYU product is the latest key member of the 49ers' defense to ink a long-term extension over the last two seasons.
The π°π°π° shows @49ers ID'ing their core ...
β Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) July 21, 2021
β’ DT Arik Armstead (5 years, $85 million)
β’ TE George Kittle (5 years, $75 million)
β’ LB Fred Warner (5 years, $95 million)
β’ OT Trent Williams (6 years, $138 million)
And DE Nick Bosa will be eligible for his 2nd deal in '22.