The San Francisco 49ers have been one of the most consistent teams in the NFL over the last decade. The team has made several NFC Championship Games and two Super Bowls, but they've yet to win it all under this regime.
There's hope that can finally change in 2026. The team won a playoff game in 2025 despite several key players going down with injuries, so there's reason to believe a step forward could be coming, assuming the team stays healthy.
Fred Warner is one of the leaders of the 49ers and one of the best linebackers in the league. Warner was one of those key players who got injured last year, but he's healthy and ready to make a difference in 2026.
After Warner's recent comments, there is no doubt what the team's goals are for the 2026 season.
Fred Warner Says it's Super Bowl or Bust
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Warner appeared on KNBR recently, and his comments will excite 49ers fans. The veteran knows expectations are high, and there's a real sense of urgency in 2026.
"There's only so long that we're going to have these opportunities together as this group," Warner said. "It's funny though, 'cause I feel like every year our sense of urgency is through the roof. Ever since I've been here, we've had the standard of winning a Super Bowl. It's always been Super Bowl or bust for us."
As Warner laid it out, the 49ers' standard is to win a Super Bowl. That makes it so much tougher that the team has been close that many times.
"We've developed such an incredible culture and standard here for a really long time," Warner said. "You can't rest on what you've done in the past. All the All-Pros, the Pro Bowls, the NFC Championship game, Super [Bowl] — none of that means anything. This is a brand new team, a brand new opportunity for us as the 49ers to create something we want to be proud of at the end of it all."
Clearly, Warner is right about the culture. It's very hard to win at such a high level for an extended period of time, as the 49ers have. Deebo Samuel and Dre Greenlaw both returned to the 49ers this offseason after brief stints away, so it's clear players want to be a part of this franchise.
Getting back to the Super Bowl won't be easy, though. The 49ers play in probably the toughest division in football, with the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams being among the favorites to win the Super Bowl this year.
