Kyle Shanahan awarded one game from the San Francisco 49ers’ season-opening win to the team’s strength and conditioning staff that helped them adapt to the 17-hour time difference.

The other one went to linebacker Fred Warner, who made a big impact in the 27-7 victory — and a major personal accolade along the way.

The beating heart of the Niners defense became the leading tackler in franchise history Thursday night against the Rams. He entered the game needing four tackles to pass Patrick Willis and, in appropriate fashion, finished with 11 to lead the team and bring his career total to 958.

“I don’t think Fred has ever had a bad day in his life. He’s one of the most impressive people I have been around,” Shanahan said after the win. “He just passed Pat Willis today for the most tackles in the history of our franchise and has a lot more ahead of him, too. Fred’s the man.”

Willis is already enshrined in Canton, Ohio, and one day Warner will be himself. But coming off a season-ending ankle injury and a month away from his 30th birthday, Warner showed he still has a lot of football left to be played — and tackles to make.

The 49ers limited Matthew Stafford and the powerful Rams offense to only 280 yards and one score while forcing two turnovers, plus a goal-line stand on fourth down.

Warner, as he has been since San Francisco drafted him out of BYU in the third round in 2018, was in the middle of it, making his presence felt in his first game since fracturing his ankle in Week 6 of last season. 

If the 99-yard scoring drive that followed the 49ers’ stuff of Stafford at the goal line didn’t seal the win, then Warner punching the ball out of Tyler Higbee’s hands on the Rams next possession did the job.

He teamed up with Dre Greenlaw, who took the receiver to the ground while Warner came flying in to force the ball free, just like old times.

The forced fumble was the 18th of Warner’s career, already a franchise record. He passed Willis last season before the ankle injury brought an end to his season.

Appearing in only six games, Warner recorded fewer than 118 tackles for the first time in his career. From 2018 to 2024, he averaged 128 per season.

Warner said he nearly returned for the playoffs last season, and if Week 1 was any indication, he wasn’t lying. He looked like himself, or in other words, the best middle linebacker in the league.