Fred Warner gives honest take after 49ers' disastrous end to their season: "I thought we were past this"

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner confronted the reality of his team's 2024 collapse. After a few seasons where they made a mark in the playoffs, the All-Pro defender watched his squad stumble to a 6-11 finish. On Wednesday, Warner made an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show and opened up about the 49ers' unexpected downfall.

"It's different when you've only experienced losing, because that's the standard," Warner said. "We've developed a standard of winning. We've been to NFC championships year after year, two Super Bowls. Obviously haven't surpassed, you know, the mountain top to hoist that trophy, but we're so close, right?"

Speaking about how the 49ers expected this to be the season when they finally got their hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy, Warner said:

"And so this was the season, this was the one we were going to do it, and then all of a sudden, everything falls into shambles, and it's like, damn, I thought we were past this."

The statistics paint a clear picture of San Francisco's defensive regression. Under coordinator Nick Sorensen, they plummeted to 29th in points allowed per game. This marked a stunning fall for a unit that previously ranked among the NFL's elite.

Fred Warner is excited to be back to his best under coach Saleh

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Robert Saleh, the team's defensive coordinator from 2017-2020, returns to San Francisco for the 2025 season. His previous stint helped shape Warner into an All-Pro linebacker.

Speaking at the 2025 Pro Bowl Games in Orlando, Fred Warner had this to say about the reunion:

"It means a lot," he told NBC Sports Bay Area's Jennifer Lee Chan. "Coach Saleh has been amazing for us and for myself as a young player."

Former teammate Arik Armstead expressed the excitement around Saleh's return late last month and said:

"I sent Fred (Warner) a message and said, 'Dang, I'm jealous,'" Armstead shared on a radio show on 95.7 The Game. "Saleh is one of the best coaches I've ever played for. Schematically, he's elite and has the experience."