Tom Krasovic: It’s San Diegan vs. San Diegan when 49ers, Seahawks meet in playoffs

One San Diegan’s NFL success could mean a fellow San Diegan’s NFL heartache.

The rare football speed of Rashid Shaheed, a Seahawks catalyst, may bode ill for great 49ers linebacker Fred Warner in Saturday’s second-round playoff game in Seattle — even though Warner won’t have to tackle his fellow San Diego County high school alum.

Warner needs more time to come back from the broken and dislocated ankle he suffered Oct. 12. San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan said the four-time All-Pro might be ready for the NFC championship game next week, should the 49ers advance.

Shaheed’s sudden playmaking may not allow Warner that chance.

If his recent form carries into his first career playoff game, Shaheed will be recognized by San Diegans who remember his Friday night shine from a decade ago.

Shaheed still wears 22, his jersey number with the scarlet-and-gold Sundevils of Mt. Carmel High School in Rancho Penasquitos.

And he still dazzles as a return specialist and receiver.

Since his trade from New Orleans to Seattle on November 4, Shaheed has sparked his new team. He returned a kick 100 yards to a touchdown to open the second half, igniting the Seahawks’ Dec. 7 win over the Falcons.

He jump-started a comeback against the Rams two weeks later, returning a punt 58 yards for a score.

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, 28, is less accomplished than 49ers QB Brock Purdy and many of the other quarterbacks still playing. General manager John Schneider’s trade for Shaheed, 27, improved the odds that Darnold can get his first career playoff victory. Aside from reprising the 2023 form that earned him All-Pro honors as a punt returner, Shaheed gets about 30 snaps on offense a game. He has 10 first downs, seven as a receiver, three off designed runs.

Mission Hills High School graduate Warner, 29, would rather not cleave entirely to Junior Seau’s path of being a linebacker from north San Diego County who had a great NFL career only to end up 0-2 in Super Bowl games he started.

Patrick Mahomes denied Warner in two Super Bowls, each of which the Niners led by double digits in the fourth quarter.

In October, Warner’s opponent was bad luck — his regular season ended when a teammate landed on his ankle at the end of a play.

The 49ers pressed ahead, earning a playoff spot. In their first-round win last week against the Eagles, the defense got a big boost from linebacker Eric Kendricks.

Kendricks, 33, coordinated the defense well and showed he can still match up physically. The 11th-year veteran joined the 49ers in November after turning down the Ravens. In the season finale against the Seahawks, Kendricks became the fourth player to start in Warner’s spot. The UCLA alum wasn’t signed in free agency last offseason amid his comeback from a shoulder injury that ended his ‘24 season with the Cowboys. Kendricks told reporters he waited until November in hope of finding a great match.

San Diego’s John Lynch, the 49ers’ general manager, rewarded Kendrick’s faith, signing him to the practice squad.

Warner, for his part, will still find ways to help out.

“The fact that Fred even has a jersey on less than 100 days after what happened to him, that just uplifts the team,” left tackle Trent Williams said, per ESPN. “Whether Fred takes the field in these playoffs or not, that’s motivation. Having him there, just having his face in this locker room, it’s motivation. It helps everybody.”