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Kittle applauds Purdy’s leadership, growth as 49ers QB originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

NASHVILLE, Tenn., — It was a 49ers reunion at the fourth annual Tight End University — a camp co-hosted by All-Pro George Kittle and Kansas City Chiefs superstar Travis Kelce — and one common theme at the event was the positive state of Brock Purdy as the leader of San Francisco’s offense.

Kittle has not been on the field with Purdy since undergoing core muscle surgery during the offseason, but he has noticed the quarterback’s command of the players on the field.

“He looks like the guy, which is really nice,” Kittle told NBC Sports Bay Area. “He’s in the building every day and is the same guy every single day, consistent. He’s incredibly competitive. It’s fun seeing him yell at guys when they don’t hit their route depth or have the wrong landmark.”

Former 49ers tight ends Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley joined Kittle at the two-day event, and while they both now are part of the Atlanta Falcons’ organization, they remarked on how Purdy was able to take control of coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense in his debut season.

“Super proud of Brock,” Woerner said. “He handled everything like a pro, coming in starting as the third string. From where he started, and how he showed up every day, just continuing being a pro, and ready for his opportunity. And when he got it, everyone knows he took advantage of it, and has been crushing it.”

Dwelley, who was with Woerner during Purdy’s first offseason as a rookie, noticed from the start that the quarterback’s intensity was at another level, even with his limited rookie reps.

“He really kind of came in and he just had the mindset that he didn’t really care about anything else going on,” Dwelley said. “He was really to himself and focused on learning the playbook as best he could, as fast as he could, and doing the best with every opportunity he got during that training camp.

“I don’t know if…

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Tom Brady might be considered the GOAT, though he says there is another quarterback whom he considers as the NFL position’s ‘gold standard.’ 

Brady gave that title to former longtime rival Peyton Manning, who was on hand for Brady’s recent induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame. Manning was there to honor Brady, but the seven-time Super Bowl champion took a moment to pay homage to Manning and the impact he had on his career. 

“I think that I could never have been the type of player that I was without having someone like Peyton that I had to aspire to be like,” Brady said at his Patriots Hall of Fame ceremony held at Gillette Stadium. “And I looked at him as the gold standard for quarterback play, and I still do.” 

Manning had taken the mantle from Brett Favre as the NFL’s premier quarterback when Brady was beginning his legendary run as the Patriots’ starting quarterback. In fact, Brady’s first career victory in the NFL came against Manning’s Colts. That game was the start of a historic rivalry between the era’s top-two quarterbacks. 

“They liked me here … because I always lost here,” Manning joked during the ceremony while alluding to his lack of success in Foxborough that included losses in consecutive postseasons. “I’m much more popular than Eli [Manning] here, I promise you that. But no, absolutely, you knew when you were playing against a Tom Brady team, you better be at your best, because if you weren’t, Tom Brady was going to beat you every time.” 

In all, Brady won 11 of his 17 career matchups against Manning. Manning, however, went 3-2 against Brady-led teams in the playoffs that included a 3-1 record in AFC Championship games during his years with the Colts and Broncos. Combined, Manning and Brady won nine Super Bowls, 14 conference titles, eight league MVPs and six Super Bowl MVPs during their respective careers. 

While their rivalry was real, so too is the…

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The Jets play the 49ers in Week One on Monday Night Football, and Jets running back Breece Hall says that gives him the opportunity to show he belongs on the same field with the NFL’s best.

The best, according to Hall, is 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, and Hall sees opening the season against McCaffrey as an opportunity to show the football world that Hall is an elite running back too.

“It’s on me,” Hall said of raising his game this year, via the New York Post. “I feel like right now McCaffrey’s the best in the league. To me, he sets the standard. We’re going to see him in Week One. . . . It’s exciting just to see where I stand and really let everyone see my full talent now that I’m healthy.”

Hall was off to a great start in his rookie year in 2022 before suffering a torn ACL in his seventh game. He returned to play all 17 games in 2023, but he said the knee was affecting him for much of the season. Now, Hall says, he’s fully prepared to show off everything he can do.

“I’ve gotten better this offseason. I’m a lot leaner. I feel a lot healthier. My knee feels a lot better. I just feel like I’m back to my old self,” he said.

Hall also said a healthy Aaron Rodgers will transform not just the Jets’ passing game, but also their running game.

“It will take a lot of pressure off me,” Hall said. “I won’t have to go against as many one-high boxes. I’m going to go against a lot of two-high boxes, which creates more space for me to work with. People aren’t going to be able to just sit in one-high because Aaron’s going to dice them up. I’m excited for sure.”

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NFL legend and former Lions Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders has revealed that he experienced a “health scare” during Father’s Day weekend. Sanders’ scare was heart related. 

While he didn’t provide an update on his condition, Sanders wrote on social media that he is “taking this opportunity to prioritize my health and well-being.” 

“It was unexpected and served as a reminder of the importance of staying vigilant about our physical well-being, even when we are feeling fine,” Sanders wrote. “I am grateful for the amazing doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals for providing me with needed care. My family and I are thankful for your prayers and support during this time.” 

Sanders, 55, currently serves as an ambassador for the Lions. He was recently seen at the 2024 NFL Draft, which was held in Detroit. During the draft, Bill Belichick said that Sanders was the most difficult opponent to defend during his 49 years as an NFL coach. 

In January, Sanders and former 49ers Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana served as honorary captains for the NFC Championship game, which was won by the 49ers over Sanders’ Lions. Last September, Sanders became the first Lions player to have a statue built in his honor. In November, Amazon Prime released a documentary on Sanders detailing his career and his decision to retire despite being less than 1,500 yards away from breaking Walter Payton’s all-time career rushing record. 

A first-ballot Hall of Famer, Sanders is the first player to rush for over 1,000 years in each of his first 10 seasons. He won four rushing titles during his 10-year career (that spanned from 1989-98) and in 1997 became the third player in history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a…

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