Photo courtesy of the San Francisco 49ers
George Kittle explains how Fred Warner makes him a better tight end
Aug 25, 2020 at 2:35 PM
•
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
San Francisco 49ers tight end
George Kittle has seen a lot of growth in
Fred Warner over the past two years. Kittle has already been selected to two Pro Bowls. While Warner has yet to earn that honor, Kittle already considers him a Pro Bowl-caliber defender.
The two players have been going against one another during 1-on-1 and 11-on-11 drills during training camp. That kind of competition over the years has improved both Kittle and Warner. "Iron sharpens iron," as the 49ers like to say.
"I've definitely had a lot of battles with Fred, both pass game and run game," Kittle said via Zoom on Tuesday. "Fred's the heartbeat of that defense. He's the quarterback of them. It's been really fun. He has gotten a lot better."
Kittle remembers then-rookie Warner getting "cooked" on a route he ran during OTAs in 2018. That doesn't happen anymore.
"Now, he's definitely guarding those routes," Kittle explained. "He's reacting to all those plays. You can really tell how far he's come.
"He's an incredible linebacker. He was, in my opinion, a Pro Bowl linebacker last year, and I think he's going to be better this year.
"Just being able to play against him every day makes me a better tight end. It's just really fun to have someone like that on your team."
Warner's 118 tackles (per Pro Football Reference) led 49ers defenders by a significant margin last season, and even that was a drop-off from his 124 total during his rookie year. The third-year player proved he could be a force when it comes to the pass rush, too, adding three sacks to his statistics in 2019.
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
49ers' Fred Warner addresses Armstead's departure, Greenlaw's recovery, Super Bowl window
The news of Arik Armstead's departure from the San Francisco 49ers after nine seasons with the team shocked linebacker Fred Warner. Armstead, a former first-round pick, was an impactful force on the football field. However, his availability over the last two seasons forced the 49ers to reevaluate his contract, and when his salary could not be significantly reduced, the two sides parted ways.
"Huge surprise," Warner said of learning that Armstead was being released. "Ever since I've been here, we called him the blueprint for how to be a Niner. That was the longest-tenured Niner that's been here and a guy that's done it right through and through."
Warner has been in the NFL long enough to understand how the league works. Over the years, he's watched several
Brock Purdy hopes Kyle Shanahan makes addition to 49ers playbook
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw for a franchise-record 4,280 yards last season, leading the team to the Super Bowl and earning his first Pro Bowl selection. He held onto the football 39 times on the ground, rushing for 144 yards and scoring twice. This marked a significant improvement over his rookie 2022 campaign when he had 22 carries for 13 yards and a score.
Purdy further displayed his athleticism during the 49ers' playoff game against the Detroit Lions last season, helping engineer a comeback victory while rushing for 48 yards on five carries.
On Tuesday morning, Purdy joined the "Pat McAfee Show," acknowledging that he believes he can contribute more rushing yards if called upon. However, that decision rests with head coach Kyle Shanahan,
5 reasons why 49ers QB Brock Purdy will be better in 2024
The San Francisco 49ers appear to have found their quarterback. It was a bumpy road on the journey to locate him, too. There was the up-and-down tenure of Jimmy Garoppolo, whose relationship with Head Coach Kyle Shanahan seemed dysfunctional, at times. Then there was the short-lived Trey Lance experiment.
Garoppolo and Lance are no longer being with the team, and one major reason is the emergence of Brock Purdy as the team's QB. Purdy finished his second season with a trip to the Super Bowl, after having a Pro Bowl season in which he finished with 4,280 yards and 31 touchdowns. He also led the league in multiple statistics, including passer rating (113.0) and QBR (72.8). Additionally, Purdy finished fourth in NFL MVP voting.
But a year ago, no one knew what to
Two reported 49ers pre-draft visits didn't end up happening
Despite initial reports, two draft prospects who were set to visit the San Francisco 49ers ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft ultimately did not meet with the team. Matt Barrows of The Athletic revealed that former USC wide receiver Brenden Rice and former Oregon safety Jamal Hill didn't end up visiting the Bay Area organization.
Barrows wrote, "Meanwhile, a report in March indicated that USC receiver Brenden Rice, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, would visit the 49ers, but he didn't end up coming, according to two league sources."
Justin Melo of The Draft Network first
