The San Francisco 49ers are going to be without their star linebacker Fred Warner for the rest of the season.
Or are they?
There is a chance Warner could return this season for San Francisco, but it would be under the unlikeliest of circumstances.
In Niners reporter Matt Barrows' recent column for The Athletic, he spoke with medical experts who said that Warner could get a head start on his recovery, and if everything goes according to plan, there is a chance he could be ready to play in the Super Bowl.
But that's assuming a lot of things.
Fred Warner could actually return... this season?
First of all, everything will go swimmingly with Warner's recovery, which is far from a given. With an ankle injury that severe, there is always a chance for setbacks or that additional surgeries will be necessary to ensure it heals properly.
Perhaps the bigger assumption, though, is the 49ers would even be able to make the Super Bowl without Warner out there on defense. Not only is Warner one of the best all-around players in the NFL, he is the spiritual leader of the Niners, so it's effectively impossible to calculate just how much losing him hurts the entire team.
Tatum Bethune is going to do his best to try and fill in for Warner, but no one can truly replace or even replicate what the perennial All-Pro brings to the table for San Francisco. He is a one-of-a-kind player, so even if the 49ers are perusing the trade market, they will have a tough time finding anyone close to Warner.
The team could try to add a familiar face or go out and land a grizzled veteran, but it would still be a far cry from Warner at the MIKE linebacker spot. That is not a knock on those players, but it is more of an affirmation of Warner's greatness that most players do not even compare to him.
However, if by some miracle the 49ers were able to make it to the playoffs and then make a deep postseason run without Warner, not to mention without star edge rusher Nick Bosa, then it would be an incredible sight to see Warner emerge from the tunnel at Levi's Stadium for the Super Bowl and try to help the team win.
It is the unlikeliest of all scenarios, but it is not completely impossible.