49ers

49ers LB Fred Warner‘s 2025 season ended after suffering a right ankle injury in October. The linebacker mentioned that he’s grateful to be back on the field without any restrictions. 

“I’m feeling extremely blessed, grateful to be back, feeling great and no restrictions,” Warner said, via Nick Wagoner of ESPN. “Just able to jump right in.”

San Francisco opened Warner’s 21-day window to return from injured reserve back in January and was a limited participant in practice before their playoff loss to the Seahawks. Warner said being back at practice in the playoffs gave him a lot of confidence going into the offseason. 

“The fact that I was able to return to practice kind of gave me all the confidence in the world to really attack training during the offseason,” Warner said. “Not having to start from like doing rehab and everything. [I’m] just going from ground zero, building up just like I would any other offseason. It’s been great.”

As for the standing of WR Brandon Aiyuk on their roster, GM John Lynch said the NFL owners’ meetings allowed them to speak with possible trade suitors and feels the 2026 NFL Draft could provide another opportunity to find a deal. 

“We all are in concert on where we’re going with Brandon,” Lynch said. “The league meetings is a great opportunity because everyone in the league is there. The draft is another opportunity because a lot of things happen on draft week. I think we’ll see it through here.”

Cardinals

• North Dakota State QB Cole Payton has met extensively with the Cardinals. (Aaron Wilson)

Rams

Rams TE Tyler Higbee was asked why he decided to sign a two-year deal with the Rams even though he turned 33-years-old this offseason.

“Obviously, I didn’t want to go anywhere else, I wanted to be here,” Higbee said, via RamsWire.com. “It was fairly quick, a week removed from the season, it was like, ‘I want to play ball.’ I got a few more years of good football in me. We have a team that will have a chance, a lot of things have to go right, but this is a team that can compete for a championship, and I want to be a part of it.”

“There are a lot of good things that we can draw from last year. It’s a new year and every year has its own season,” Higbee added. “Just being so close and tasting it and having experienced winning the championship before, it’s something I’ve been chasing since. I’ve been chasing since I’ve been in the league and then having a chance to win it and then you taste it and it’s like, ‘Oh I want more.’ It obviously played a role in all of it, but at the same time, I love this organization. This is a place I call home and I didn’t really want to be anywhere else and I’m happy to be back.”