![NFL: San Francisco 49ers OTA](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ypD79u9c2mV5RAU2mlovxtvBvIA=/0x0:8245x5497/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69612463/usa_today_16170296.0.jpg)
There was never a doubt that the San Francisco 49ers were going to pay Fred Warner. He’s durable, young, smart, fast, instinctive, and comes with a team-first attitude.
It would have been a surprise if Warner took the field during training camp without a new deal, as Warner was scheduled to make just over $3.3 million as his base salary in 2021.
He won’t have to worry about money anymore. On Wednesday morning, the Niners extended warner with a five-year, $95-million contract that includes $40.5 million guaranteed.
Warner is now the highest-paid linebacker in the NFL, though that figures to change once Darius Leonard gets paid and Roquan Smith next year. So, if anything, the 49ers were smart to get a deal done before those two received new contracts, so they didn’t get into a bidding war and have to pay more than they wanted.
What an offseason for San Francisco. Between Trent Williams, the quarterbacks, and about a dozen other things that transpired, to Warner receiving a deal. Here’s a look at the 49ers core:
• DT Arik Armstead (5 years, $85 million)
• TE George Kittle (5 years, $75 million)
• LB Fred Warner (5 years, $95 million)
• OT Trent Williams (6 years, $138 million)
Nick Bosa, you’re up next.