‘Get us the bowl’ – Fred Warner backs $265m man following 49ers injury-hit Super Bowl failure

Jan 30, 2026 - 14:45

The San Francisco 49ers didn’t quite have the fairytale season many thought they would.

It was a surprise they made it to the playoffs in the first place, given the magnitude of injuries they suffered in the regular season.

Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh of the San Francisco 49ers reacts during the first quarter of a game against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium on January 03, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. — The 49ers crashed out of the NFL playoffs at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks

The Niners lost Nick Bosa just three-games into the season, Fred Warner and first-round draft-pick Mykel Williams to season-ending injuries at various points and the superstar tight end George Kittle in the playoffs.

That was just defensively, they had no Brandon Aiyuk who is set for a stunning divorce with the team and Ricky Pearsall played only nine games.

The player many fans expected to be injured remained healthy, Christian McCaffery put up another stellar season, with 1,202 rushing yards and 924 receiving yards.

Most importantly, San Francisco lost Brock Purdy for just under half of the season, after aggravating his turf toe injury.

They turned to Mac Jones who did an excellent job filling in. Jones threw for 2151 yards in 11 appearances, and 13 touchdowns.

Purdy returned against the Arizona Cardinals in November, and the Niners found themselves battling for the one seed in the NFC.

But in the Week 18 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, their defense proved too much as they were beaten 13-3, a subtle foreshadowing for the events that would occur two weeks later.

The 49ers beat the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round, but were quickly mauled by the Super Bowl-bound Seahawks by a score of 41-6.

There is no doubt that the Niners have an incredibly talented roster but injuries to key players have played a major role in the last two seasons.

Despite all the adversity and reactions when Purdy signed his mammoth $265 million contract, he still has the backing of Warner.

Fred Warner has assured fans Brock Purdy is the right quarterback to take them to Super Bowl glory

Fred Warner was left stricken on the floor after suffering a dislocated and broken ankle in the 1st QTR of week six

“He does everything elite in my opinion,” said Warner during an appearance on the St. Brown podcast.

“When he came back from injury this season and started to come into his own, after getting the mobility back, he really came back to life.

“He played the best ball out of any quarterback down the stretch in this league. His ability to process the situation, I think that is what separates the good from the great.

“There is so much going on in the mind of the QB, from pre-snap communication, watching the defense.

“The everything happening post snap, dissecting what the defense is doing to you, and having to deliver the ball perfectly to the spot, Purdy does it with the best of them bro.

“I’m happy he’s on our team, he’s definitely going to get us a Bowl.”

LAS VEGAS, NV - FEBRUARY 11: Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers on the field after Super Bowl LVIII against the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Chiefs defeated the 49ers 25-22. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images) — Purdy led the 49ers to Super Bowl LVIII but they were defeated by the Chiefs.

Purdy, a.k.a Mr Irrelevant after being the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, led the Niners to the Super Bowl in 2024, but they fell short to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime.

Warner is adamant that Purdy is the right QB to bring the 49ers to their first Vince Lombardi trophy since 1994. But only time will tell if he is proved correct.

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