Injuries were a major theme coming into Sunday's showdown between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers, and it took no time at all for a major one to imapct the game.
Fred Warner, the leader of not only the 49ers defense but the entire locker room, needed to be carted off the field in the first quarter after suffering a gruesome lower leg injury. It was one of those injuries the broadcast shows once and not again, and for good reason.
It appeared that Warner's leg got caught under Ji'Ayir Brown as he was trying to make a tackle on Rachaad White. The force of the hit and the angle it happened caused Warner's leg to snap and bend in a way it shouldn't, bringing the game to a halt and likely ending his season.
Be warned, the injury is brutal, but you can watch the replay of it here.
Prayers up for Fred Warner 🙏
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) October 12, 2025
He was carted off in an air cast. pic.twitter.com/tDVZE2aTsv
Fred Warner is being carted off right now with an apparent leg injury. Whole 49ers sideline came to him. Several Bucs knelt and then came to him. So much respect for him in this Tampa Bay locker room and around the league. pic.twitter.com/k273WWw1Kt
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) October 12, 2025
This is the last thing anyone wanted to see for a variety of reasons. You always want to beat a team at its best -- and Sunday's game was billed as a title fight between two of the NFC's top squads -- but there's the human element here as well.
Warner is one of the most well-liked players in the entire league, and has assumed a face of the franchise role in the same way Lavonte David has for the Bucs. He's been a leader for the Niners through thick and thin, and brings that same veteran leadership David does no matter if the chips are down or not.
It's also the latest in a long line of injuries to the Niners that could have a ripple effect beyond Sunday. Heading into Sunday, Tampa Bay's biggest threat at the top of the conference was San Francisco but without Warner it could open a lane for other teams to capitalize.
Much like the Bucs, Kyle Shanahan has been dealing with injuries to key players all season with George Kittle, Nick Bosa, and Brock Purdy all being lost for varying amounts of time. Bosa's seaosn is over, and it seems likely that Warner's is too, which means a major contender for the No. 1 seed just absorbed a potentially fatal blow.
San Francisco has weathered the storm much in the same way Tampa Bay has, but the Warner injury might be one too many. It's also a reminder for the Bucs, especially as we approach the trade deadline, of how fragile a season can be and to fortify the roster as much as possible.