The 49ers reached their bye week at 6-1 with a defense that should have fallen apart by now. Nick Bosa has missed four games, Dre Greenlaw has already served a suspension, and rookies and backups have rotated in and out of the secondary all season long. Yet Fred Warner remains a constant in the middle of the field, ever present.
That's the kind of thing that stands out. But Warner's numbers are what stand out even more, and it's worth taking a look at his Defensive Player of the Year stock.
The numbers match the responsibility for the 49ers' captain
Warner leads the Niners with 72 tackles, second in the league following the Denver Broncos' Alex Singleton. Warner has also had three passes defended and a league-leading four forced fumbles. During the Niners' Week 3 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, Warner posted 17 total tackles, a career high.
But it's the context that separates a good season from an award case. Through seven weeks, the 49ers have allowed the seventh-fewest points in the NFL and the fourth-fewest yards allowed, averaging just under 300 yards surrendered per game. Most of this has been done without their best pass rusher on the field.
The cornerback rotation churned until the team released Jack Jones during the bye week. The front office just spent draft capital on bringing DeForest Buckner back to shore up the line in front, showing that the line was on the thinner side.
Even in the tough loss at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons, Warner was still leading by example. He registered 13 tackles on the day, six of which were solo, and he only allowed a single catch for 10 yards.
Brock Purdy can keep collecting MVP headlines, and rightfully so. He's been a monster on the offense, and he's been playing some of the best football of his career. But on the other side of things, Warner has stepped up in a way that's impressive, even for him. With Bosa expected back beside him after the bye and Buckner returned to the line in front, Warner's case for DPOY could only get louder.
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