Fred Warner has ‘ultimate confidence’ in his recovery as 49ers enter offseason

SANTA CLARA — Linebacker Fred Warner heads into the 49ers’ offseason brimming with confidence.Warner returned to practice last week and felt as if he could have played on Saturday night, when the 49ers lost to the Seattle Seahawks, 41-6, in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs.“The plan all along was to be ready for the NFC Championship Game,” said Warner, who sustained a fractured and dislocated right ankle in Week 6.“Of course, I was pushing as hard as I could to be back as early as I could. At the end of the day, I had to make sure I was doing things in a safe manner.”The 49ers opened the practice window for Warner after the team’s 23-19 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the playoffs.Three days later, Warner looked energized as he returned to the practice field. He said he felt as if he was ready to go, but the 49ers opted to take no chances and ruled him out for the game.“It was all positive feelings,” Warner said. “I gained a ton of confidence. I fully felt like I could’ve played in the game. It gives me the ultimate confidence going into the offseason.”Warner, a four-time...