The NFL can take its toll on even the best of athletes, but 49ers linebacker Fred Warner is feeling fresh as ever ahead of his seventh season in the league.
The All-Pro didn't take part in on-field work during organized team activities of San Francisco's mandatory minicamp, but Warner still finds it important to be on site in Santa Clara with his fellow 49ers and the training staff.
"This is my home, first of all," Warner explained to reporters Wednesday when asked why he was at the 49ers' facility. "I made this my home, I have a house here, I train here year round in this building, on that field with the strength and conditioning staff. I feel like they're the best at what they do, you know. They've gotten me right and ready to go every single year.
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"So I'm like, I don't know any different, and so it'd be kind of silly for me to intently go somewhere else when OTAs start. I'm here. I want to be a part of the team when we get started in Phase 2 and 3, and that's just what I've always known."
Warner's offseason work has paid off over the years, with the three-time Pro Bowl selection coming off a 2023 NFL season where he led the 49ers with 132 tackles (82 solo) and forced fumbles (four) while tallying the second-most interceptions (four) on the team behind cornerback Charvarius Ward (five).
"Just aging like fine wine, really," Warner said. "I take pride in taking care of my body, right. I think a big part of it is just always being curious, just always looking for new ways to recover and get better. As you go, you kind of learn different things of how to recover, how to take care of your body, right?
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"So that's kind of been helpful, and I think it's just the best I've felt."
Warner welcomed his first child this offseason and has said he wants to play even harder in 2024 for his son. That, combined with the 27-year-old's confidence in his wine-like maturity, could be a scary sight for opposing offenses next season.
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