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49ers Sign Depth Linebacker After Devastating Fred Warner Injury

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Lorenzo J. Reyna | Last updated Oct 21, 2025 4:16 PM ET

Fred Warner sat and cheered from the Levi's Stadium suites on Sunday Night Football. The San Francisco 49ers have now added depth as the All-Pro will miss the entire 2025 season with his ankle ailment.

San Francisco and general manager John Lynch added 2025 rookie Stone Blanton to the practice squad, NFL insider Aaron Wilson reported Tuesday.

The move, again, comes amid Warner's devastating injury that forced him to watch his 49ers beat the Falcons 20-10 at home.

Who is Stone Blanton? Details on the LB 49ers are Adding

Sep 9, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; Eyes closed, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner (54) walks to the sideline in the third quarter against the New York Jets at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Blanton comes with experience in the Southeastern Conference -- suiting up for South Carolina and then Mississippi State.

The Madison, Miss., native rose to four-star status by 247Sports and ranked as the state's No. 7 prospect. He landed 21 total offers before ultimately choosing the Gamecocks.

Blanton collected 59 total tackles with 36 solo stops and 2.5 tackles for a loss. He eventually entered the transfer portal after the 2023 season.

But he witnessed career-highs in Starksville -- leading the Bulldogs with 95 total tackles and hitting 30 individual stops. He also tallied 3.5 tackles for a loss.

The 6-foot-2 LB went undrafted during April's draft. He managed to sign with the 49ers before getting waived on Aug. 26. Now he's back on the practice squad amid depth concerns in the LB room.

Who Else is Active in 49ers' LB Room?

S.F. watched a surprise leading tackler in the SNF contest.

Tatum Bethune piled 10 tackles facing Bijan Robinson and Atlanta. He was the only 49ers defender to reach double digits in tackles. Bethune originally joined the Niners as a 2024 seventh round find out of Florida State.

Dee Winters is one more active LB roaming the field for the 49ers -- getting three tackles with one stop behind the line of scrimmage.

Former Stanford LB Curtis Robinson adds LB depth here, as he's mostly known for special teams. Luke Gifford and Nick Martin are two more healthy players in the linebacker room post Warner.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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