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49ers linebacker Fred Warner at Levi’s Stadium on January 28, 2024.
It is hard to find a better middle linebacker in all of football than Fred Warner. The San Francisco 49ers star has been one of the elite sideline-to-sideline players in the game since he was drafted back in 2018. So naturally, it would make sense that he would have a valid opinion on who the toughest duo is to play against.
While chatting with ESPN’s Kevin Clark on an episode of This Is Football, Warner recognized a pair of Los Angeles Rams as the toughest duo he has ever had to face in the NFL. That would be MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford and head coach Sean McVay.
San Francisco 49ers Stud Fred Warner Gives His Biggest Rivals Their Flowers
GettyFred Warner hadn’t missed a single start for the 49ers until last season.
A former third-round pick out of BYU, Warner is now at the top of his game. So, it is no surprise that he was giving respect to both Stafford and McVay, who are both at the top of their respective fields, as well. Here is what he had to say specifically about how tough it is to face off against his two rivals twice a year:
“The ones that come to mind are the guys I gotta see twice a year, and so of course McVay and Stafford together I think are as good a duo as there is in this league. Having to play them twice a year, it does keep me up a little bit that week when I do have to play them.”
49ers All-Pro Fred Warner says the Sean McVay + Matthew Stafford combo keeps him up studying all week before their matchup…
Is this the best coach-QB duo in the NFL right now? 👀
Since 2018, Warner and the Niners are 10-7, including playoffs against the Rams. Since Stafford joined the Rams in 2021, San Francisco is 6-5, including playoffs, against Los Angeles. This is one of the best rivalries in the league, and the chess match between Warner and both Stafford and McVay, perhaps the league’s best play-caller, is at the very center of it.
The 2026 Outlook for Both Teams
GettyBoth the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams won 12 games in 2025.
Simply put, the 49ers and Rams were two of the best teams in the NFL last season. If they didn’t play in the same division as the Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks, either of them could have gone all the way. Both franchises secured 12 wins in the regular season but were both defeated in the postseason by Seattle.
On San Francisco’s side of things, while they did lose to Seattle at the end of their season, they were without the likes of arguably their three best players due to injury. Warner, along with All-Pro edge-rusher Nick Bosa and All-Pro tight end George Kittle, each missed the final stretch of the season with major injuries.
When healthy, this is one of the best overall teams in the entire league. The same could be said for the Rams. With Warner looking to play a full season in his prime once again and with Stafford returning for his 18th NFL season, this rivalry could add a couple of more exciting chapters to one of the league’s best matchups.
Tim Lindsey A Chicago-area native, Tim Lindsey has covered the world of sports through a variety of different lenses. More specifically, he has been an NFL writer for sites such as Sports Illustrated and PFSN. Notable teams like the Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Steelers have been a major point of emphasis for the longtime writer in the past. More about Tim Lindsey
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