49ers star Fred Warner grateful to legend Aaron Rodgers for early career praise and thinks Brock Purdy is set for ‘amazing year’

Fred Warner is one of the best linebackers in the NFL. Aaron Rodgers was on that hype train sooner than most. The San Francisco 49ers defensive stud and the New York Jets superstar quarterback go head-to-head on Monday night at Levi’s Stadium in the first MNF of the 2024 season, which you can listen to live on talkSPORT .

Warner and Rodgers may line up on opposite teams, but there's always been a healthy respect between the pair. Following the Green Bay Packers ' (Rodgers' former team) 34-17 win against the 49ers in Week 9 of the 2020 season, the four-time MVP could be heard giving exceptionally high praise to the then-third year LB. "I'm happy for you man, I really mean that," Rodgers told Warner, who was mic'd up, after the game.



"Unfortunately, name recognition means too much. Ain't nobody better. There really isn't.

You're the best and everybody knows it. The film don't lie. You should be All-Pro.

" "All-Pro Fred" would go on to live up to his moniker. Two months after Rodgers' praise, he was named a First-team All-Pro, the first of three such honors. Fast forward to 2024 and he's one of the best in the business, but Rodgers' kind words have always stuck with him.

"Yeah, it meant a lot, more than he'll ever know," the three-time Pro Bowler exclusively told talkSPORT. "I was asked to play a new position when I came out of BYU and trying to build confidence in what I was trying to do. "I felt like I was doing a good job going into Year 3, but for a young guy to get that approval from a Hall of Famer and legend like that, it gave me all the confidence in the world to continue to press forward and ascend into the player that I become today.

" "And unfortunately for him, he now has to see the product of that," Warner joked. "But it's it's all love at the end of the day, man, I'm so grateful for him. And you know, Obviously for that moment.

" Monday night's clash between the 49ers and Jets could well be the last time Warner and Rodgers face off. Rodgers, soon-to-be 41, is coming off a torn Achilles tendon that ended his debut season with the Jets after just four plays. If things go badly again this year, it could be his last in the league .

The controversial QB is undoubtedly the jewel in the crown of a revamped Jets squad boasting two mercurial young talents in Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall. Gang Green's D is also one of the most formidable in the NFL, something Niners QB Brock Purdy will have to overcome if Kyle Shanahan's team are to start the season off with a W. Purdy has been on quite the journey since being selected with the 262nd pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

He's very much gone from "Mr. Irrelevant" to "Mr. Relevant" after enjoying a stellar 2023 campaign.

Purdy was in MVP conversations for most of the regular season last year, and earned a trip to the Super Bowl after passing for over 4,000 yards and finishing as the NFL's passer rating leader. Despite his credentials, the 24-year-old is consistently underrated, with some critics labelling him a "game manager" and "system quarterback". Warner doesn't want to hear any of that talk, though, and thinks Purdy is set for an 'amazing season' in 2024.

"It's crazy to think that he's [Purdy] only going into Year 3," he told talkSPORT. "You would never know it based on the way that he's performed in Years 1 and 2, and the way that he carries himself day in and day out. "You know he has complete control of that offense.

With experience comes confidence and maturity, and I think you continue to see that with Brock. "So I'm really excited to see him going into this year. I think he'll have an amazing year.

" talkSPORT is your home of the NFL on UK radio - join us for coverage of the opening Monday Night Football of the season from 1am on talkSPORT2 when the San Francisco 49ers host the New York Jets . Subscribe here to follow the new talkSPORT End Zone NFL channel . talkSPORT.

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