Fred Warner’s case for Defensive Player of the Year is getting harder to brush aside.
The 49ers head into their bye at 6-1, and that record has come with a defense that has had plenty of reasons to wobble. Nick Bosa has missed four games.
Dre Greenlaw has already served a suspension. The secondary has been a moving target, with rookies and backups cycling through all season.
Through it all, Warner has been the steady presence in the middle, always there, always involved.
That reliability matters. The production matters even more.
Warner is leading the 49ers with 72 tackles, which ranks second in the league behind the Denver Broncos’ Alex Singleton. He also has three passes defended and a league-leading four forced fumbles. In Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals, he piled up 17 total tackles, a career high.
The numbers are impressive on their own, but the bigger picture gives them more weight. Through seven weeks, San Francisco has allowed the seventh-fewest points in the NFL and the fourth-fewest yards, giving up just under 300 yards per game. That’s been accomplished with the team’s best pass rusher missing time.
The defense has also had to keep adjusting around the back end. The cornerback rotation kept changing until the team released Jack Jones during the bye week. And the front office used draft capital to bring DeForest Buckner back, a move that underscored how thin the line in front had become.
Warner’s impact showed up again in the loss to the Atlanta Falcons. He finished with 13 tackles, six of them solo, and allowed just one catch for 10 yards.
Brock Purdy will keep drawing MVP attention, and that makes sense. He has been excellent on offense and is playing some of the best football of his career.
But on the other side, Warner has been just as important in his own way, maybe even more so given everything around him. With Bosa expected back after the bye and Buckner now in front of him, Warner’s DPOY argument may only get stronger from here.
In Other News...
49ers May Be Leaving Brock Purdy Too Much To Overcome
Brock Purdys season had put him in the thick of the MVP conversation for a reason. He had been playing at a high level for San Francisco, and even after the 49ers traded for defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, the focus around the roster has stayed on whether the team has done enough to keep its quarterback in position to sustain that kind of production.
A rough outing against the Falcons only sharpened that question, because the 49ers have not made additional major moves to upgrade the receiving group around him. The concern now is less about whether Purdy can bounce back and more about whether San Francisco has given him enough help to keep matching the standard he set earlier in the season. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Could Cash In As Mac Jones Draws Contender Interest
Mac Jones has suddenly become a name to watch on the quarterback market, and the ripple effect could matter in San Francisco. With several contenders dealing with uncertainty under center, the 49ers could find themselves in a position to benefit if interest in Jones turns into real trade calls, especially from teams looking for a stabilizing option rather than a long-term fix.
The Minnesota Vikings, Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles are all being mentioned as clubs that could explore quarterback help, each for different reasons tied to their current roster situations and injuries. Minnesota has leaned on a strong defense while its offense has sputtered, Baltimore has had to navigate injuries at quarterback, and Philadelphias depth chart has been shaken enough to make the position a priority again. If that market develops further, Jones could become one of the more intriguing names to monitor, and the 49ers would be watching closely to see how far the bidding goes. [Read more 🡒]
Former 49ers Pick Resurfaces For All The Wrong Reasons
Joe Williams, the former 49ers running back drafted in 2017, resurfaced this week in West Hollywood after allegedly fleeing from Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputies. Williams, who once arrived in San Francisco with plenty of college-football intrigue behind him, was taken into custody after the incident and is now facing a string of charges that includes receiving stolen property, resisting arrest, vandalism, trespassing and a probation violation.
For the 49ers, it is another uncomfortable reminder of how quickly a promising draft story can fade from view. Williams never got the chance to make good on that selection in a regular-season game, and now his next court appearance is set for Nov. 2 as the legal process moves forward. [Read more 🡒]