It looked bad when it happened, and unfortunately for Fred Warner and the 49ers, the injury to the linebacker’s ankle is bad.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan announced after the game that Warner dislocated and fractured his ankle. The injury will require season-ending surgery.
Warner has missed only one game in his eight-year career, sitting out a game in 2021 with a hamstring injury. He played through a broken bone in his ankle last season.
The four-time All-Pro was injured with 7:48 remaining in the first quarter on a 10-yard run by Rachaad White. Warner’s right leg was rolled from behind by teammate Ji’Ayir Brown, a gruesome injury that CBS showed only limited replays of.
Warner left with an air cast on his ankle.
Tatum Bethune replaced Warner, who had one tackle before leaving.
Warner’s injury is the latest in a long list of injuries the 49ers have navigated this season in going 4-2, but it might be the biggest.
Dak Prescott and Jared Goff have played great this season, but with all due respect to them, no one has done more with less than Baker Mayfield.
The Buccaneers quarterback, missing his top four receivers and his starting running back, willed his team to another victory. He didn’t need a comeback this time.
Mayfield and the Bucs beat the 49ers 30-19 to move to 5-1. Tampa Bay’s other four wins were by a total of nine points, and their only loss was 31-25 to the Eagles.
The 49ers slipped to 4-2 and lost star linebacker Fred Warner to a serious ankle injury. They already were playing without Nick Bosa, Brock Purdy, Ricky Pearsall and George Kittle, among others.
The Bucs, already playing without Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan, lost rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka to a hamstring injury. Kameron Johnson and rookie Tez Johnson both had the first touchdown reception of their careers.
Kameron Johnson caught four passes for 64 yards, including a 34-yard touchdown, and Tez Johnson scored on a 45-yard touchdown.
Mayfield went 17-of-23 for 256 yards and two touchdowns.
Rachaad White replaced Bucky Irving and rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.
The 49ers outgained the Bucs 363 to 352, but it didn’t matter.
The Bucs defense had six sacks, tying for the most in Mac Jones’ career, and forced two turnovers. Yaya Diaby had two sacks and Jamel Dean and Kindle Vildor had interceptions of Jones.
The 49ers defense has now gone 13 consecutive games without making an interception.
Jones finished 27-of-39 for 347 yards and two interceptions. Kendrick Bourne caught five passes for 142 yards, and Christian McCaffrey had 24 touches for 111 yards.
49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings was questionable to play with ankle and rib injuries. He is playing, but he had no targets in the first half.
He was not happy and let it be known.
Jennings expressed his displeasure with coach Kyle Shanahan at the end of the first half, per Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area. Shanahan spoke to Jennings with his play-card covering his mouth, as the coach’s security detail, Mike Anderson, attempted to calm Jennings.
Shanahan was still calling plays in the two-minute offense when the two went at it again before halftime. Wide receivers coach Leonard Hankerson intervened and pushed Jennings away from the head coach.
On the first play of the second half, Jennings was called for a false start, and later in the same drive, he was called for offensive pass interference to negate a 6-yard catch by Christian McCaffrey.
Now in the fourth quarter, Jennings has more penalties (two) than targets (one). He has one catch for 7 yards.
The Bucs lead 27-19.
The Buccaneers have lost yet another wide receiver.
Rookie Emeka Egbuka injured his hamstring in the second half and is doubtful to return, the team announced. He had two catches for 24 yards before leaving.
Baker Mayfield is now playing without his top four wide receivers, with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan also out. Starting running back Bucky Irving also is inactive.
It hasn’t mattered.
Mayfield just found rookie Tez Johnson for a 45-yard touchdown and a 27-19 lead over the 49ers late in the third quarter. Johnson had five catches for 67 yards while playing 74 offensive snaps in his first four games.
Kameron Johnson had no career catches in 10 career games before Sunday when he caught a 34-yard touchdown reception in the first half.
The 49ers took a gut punch in the first quarter, and the Buccaneers are doing their best to add insult to San Francisco’s injury.
The visitors lost another star player, but the 49ers got off the mat and are fighting. They trail the Buccaneers only 20-16 at halftime.
Star linebacker Fred Warner was carted off with an air cast on his right ankle with 7:33 remaining in the first half, and the 49ers quickly ruled him out after a gruesome injury.
Backup quarterback Mac Jones is keeping the 49ers in it.
He completed 13 of 19 passes for 200 yards with an interception that was Kendrick Bourne’s fault for not adjusting his route. Bourne has two receptions for 97 yards and Demarcus Robinson has contributed two receptions for 44.
Eddy Pineiro has field goals of 52, 54 and 42. His final field goal of the half came with 2 seconds remaining, but Pineiro got his foot stepped on after the kick.
The 49ers have outgained the Bucs 210 to 184.
The Bucs had three touchdowns and three punts on their six first-half drives. Rachaad White had a 2-yard touchdown run and Sean Tucker a 9-yard touchdown run before Kameron Johnson scored on a 34-yard touchdown reception with 44 seconds left in the first half.
Baker Mayfield was 10-of-15 for 133 yards and a touchdown; White has 50 yards on 10 carries; and five different players have a reception.
