49ers' Fred Warner Discusses Learning to Swim As Part of Rehab From Gruesome Leg Injury

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner explained this week how swimming helped accelerate his recovery from a broken and dislocated right ankle last season.

Warner suffered what was believed to be a season-ending injury in Week 6 last season, but when the possibility of returning for the playoffs came into focus, he decided to take up swimming in an effort to improve his stamina and the mobility of his ankle.

According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, Warner worked closely with San Jose State University women's swim and dive coach Sage Hopkins, and he quickly felt the benefits of the unique rehab.

"I was constantly dealing with swelling," Warner said. "So when I would put it in the water and just kick, it was a natural flushing of the ankle. Every time I got out of the water, my ankle looked so much better than it did going in."

Hopkins marveled at Warner's determination, as well as his ability to learn and put it into action given his limited swimming skills before they started working together.

Even though Warner has only been swimming seriously since November, Hopkins said he told Warner that he "swims better than a lot of Division I water polo players."

Hopkins added, "I think Fred could be in the Olympics in a whole variety of sports. He's got a gifted ability to understand movement and to learn movement very quickly."

Although the four-time Pro Bowler and First Team All-Pro did not make it back to play in a postseason game, he practiced before the Niners' NFC Divisional Round loss to the Seattle Seahawks and believes he could have played had San Francisco advanced to the NFC Championship Game.

Now, Warner is cleared for football activities, and he is preparing to regain his status as one of the premier linebackers in the NFL during the 2026 campaign.

Prior to last season, Warner had recorded 100 or more tackles in each of his seven seasons, and he was a Pro Bowler and First Team All-Pro in three consecutive seasons from 2022 to 2024.

Following training camp and the preseason, Warner's road back to the top will begin when the 49ers face the Los Angeles Rams in the first-ever NFL game in Australia in Week 1 of the 2026 regular season.