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The San Francisco 49ers are the favorite to win the NFC West. They, along with the Philadelphia Eagles, are the frontrunners to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Fred Warner and the 49ers defense believe they can deliver a sixth Lombardi to the Bay Area fans.
The 49ers finished last season with the top-ranked defense in the NFL. However, injuries prevented them from achieving their goal. The star linebacker feels the upcoming season can be different.
"I'll always say defense wins championships, so it's going to start and end with us," Warner said last week at the Dwight Clark Legacy Series event. "We take that on our shoulders, that responsibility, and we need to be better."
In January, the 49ers reached the NFC Championship Game for the third time in four seasons. However, both quarterbacks, Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson, were knocked out of the matchup, allowing the Philadelphia Eagles to cruise to a 31-7 win.
"To say that last year's ending was hurtful, it was," Warner shared. "It sucks the way that it ended. It felt like we never even had a chance to really compete in that game. But what are ways that our defense could have been better in that game? That's what I'm looking at, is how could I have been better for our team and our defense?
"And so I think we're for sure taking steps in the right direction right now. We're doing the tedious work right now of going out there on the field, and in the weight room, and putting the work in because you don't just snap your fingers and you're back in that game. You've got to take each step, one step at a time. And so that's what we're doing right now."
Sitting next to Warner, Hall of Fame defensive lineman and 49ers legend Bryant Young was asked what stands out about the team's current defense. He knows a thing or two about good defenses. Young was part of a Super Bowl-winning squad in 1994, his rookie season.
"What strikes me and stands out for this team is just how they play for each other," Young said. "There's a lot of passion, and love, and compassion for one another. We don't hear that word a lot in football. To be compassionate about each other, that's okay. And that's how the brotherhood is formed. You've got to have compassion for your brother next to you, and that has to mean something to you.
"So I see that. That permeates off the screen to me, and it speaks volumes how they play for each other, how they're accountable to each other, and they're just a fun group to watch."
Warner believes he plays a role in motivating the 49ers offense too. The linebacker is known for being tough on his offensive teammates, pushing them to improve. You might remember tempers flaring between Warner and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk last year during a training camp practice.
"Honestly, you want to try to create such a competitive atmosphere in practice that when the regular season comes, and it's time to play these other teams, I want—we talk about Brandon Aiyuk, the Christian McCaffreys, the Deebo Samuels—I want these guys to be like, 'Man, Fred and them just been beating us up all camp. We're ready for whatever now.' Because when you have that competitive atmosphere where we're kind of giving it back and forth to each other, that's what breeds championship football.
"And I know we haven't gotten there quite yet, but we're so close. And I know that when you get a group of guys that they just love the game so much—and that's really why I do it, because I truly love what I do. When I go out there, and I go out on the practice field in the second, third week of training camp, when it's the hardest, that's where I thrive because I love it too much to ever get tired of it."
49ers' Fred Warner addresses Armstead's departure, Greenlaw's recovery, Super Bowl window
By David Bonilla
Apr 22
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 to organize throwing session ahead of 49ers training camp
By David Bonilla
Apr 16
The San Francisco 49ers will hold a mandatory minicamp from June 4 through 6, officially concluding the team's offseason program. After that, the Niners will break for over a month and return to the Santa Clara facilities for training camp in late July.
Between that time, starting quarterbacks will often organize throwing sessions with their receivers in an effort to build chemistry ahead of the rigors of training camp. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has been unable to participate in such sessions over the last two years. The last overall draft pick in 2022, Purdy had yet to make a name for himself during his first offseason. Last year, he was still recovering from offseason surgery on his throwing arm.
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Brock Purdy hopes Kyle Shanahan makes addition to 49ers playbook
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Apr 16
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,
7-round mock draft from The Athletic sees 49ers fortifying defense early
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Apr 17
Analyst Dane Brugler recently revealed his seven-round mock draft for The Athletic, forecasting all 257 selections in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, set to kick off next week.
"Piecing together a mock like this is time consuming, but I enjoy the exercise, because it allows me to focus on each team's needs, organizational trends and prospect-team pairings that make sense based on '30' visits, league buzz and overall interest," Brugler wrote.
Most expect the 49ers to address the trenches early in the draft, and Brugler has the team doing that. It's just not on the offensive side of the football. In fact, Brugler doesn't have San Francisco
