Why Fred Warner has enjoyed watching Brock Purdy’s 49ers journey

Brock Purdy made San Francisco 49ers history on Sunday, breaking a franchise record that stood for over two decades—the most passing yards in a single season. Now at 4,280 yards, the quarterback is one of only three players in 49ers history to throw for over 4,000 yards in a season, joining Steve Young, who did it twice (1993, 1998), and Jeff Garcia (2000).

It's worth noting that Purdy is only in his second NFL season and was thrust into the starting lineup in December of 2022.

"It's just been so cool to watch that journey," linebacker Fred Warner said Tuesday morning on Bay Area radio station KNBR's "Murph and Markus" show. "People don't realize how short a journey it's been so far. He's only in his second season. The fact that he's accomplishing these things that he's doing, the most passing yards in franchise history with all the amazing quarterbacks that have played in this franchise, and to do it in his second year is insane to me.

"But it's not [insane] at the same time because of the things that he continues to do in just the second year. Now you know exactly who he is at this point. Nobody has to go around and say, 'Bro, what's Brock Purdy going to do? What's he about?' He's a legit MVP candidate this year in his second season, coming off of a major elbow surgery because he's made of the right stuff."

Fans weren't sure what to expect from Purdy when he entered the game against the Miami Dolphins in 2022 after two quarterbacks' seasons ended due to injuries. From the start, Purdy displayed the poise and leadership of a seasoned veteran.

Speaking about that leadership on the football field, Warner said, "And he obviously played a lot of football in college, and that shows in his poise, in the way that he plays the position. But the humility, the ability to go out there every single day with a chip on his shoulder, to get better regardless of the outcome of the game, regardless of where we're at in the season or where he's at in the season, that's the sign of a true competitor, the sign of a true leader for our team, the guy that we got to look to.

"And so he's done everything the exact right way, man. I'm super happy for him. I know the sky is the limit. He's going to continue to shatter records and do those sorts of things, and he doesn't even care about those things. I know he doesn't. But he's going to do it just because of who he is and how he works."

A four-interception game against the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas night didn't damage the young quarterback's confidence. Purdy bounced back with a two-touchdown outing against the Washington Commanders, making plays that would have his harshest critics question their opinions—plays like this one, hitting wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk in the end zone while escaping pursuing defenders.

"His confidence is unwavering," Warner explained. "That's the thing I noticed as a rookie last year. When he got called up to be the starter, usually with a rookie quarterback, as a leader of the team, you want to usually go up to him and let him know like, 'Hey, you don't got to do anything too big. You just kind of go out there, do your thing.' But all season long, I saw something in him, and I was like, from a poise standpoint, I was like, 'You know what? I really don't feel the need to say anything to him because I feel like he's got it.'

"And he showed that through and through last year. And I mean, just continuing to do that this season, he's been amazing."

You can listen to the entire conversation with Warner below.