Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Wednesday, December 18th, 2024
“George being a later-round draft choice — I think there was a little bit of Hobbitt-esque leaning,” Bruce [Kittle] said. “Like, ‘I’ve got a lot more power and gifts than you might imagine.’”
George conceded that those guesses are correct.
“I mean, Strider’s hard to beat,” he said.
But he added he also has an appreciation for Sauron, the all-seeing antagonist, and for bad guys in general. It’s why he has so many bad-guy tattoos, which he uses to channel dark energy on game days. After all, sweet, whimsical, hilarious Hobbes — who’s an excellent approximation of every-day-life George — isn’t the ideal persona when your job is cutting down 235-pound linebackers on run plays.
“It’s not all the time,” George said. “But there are times when you want it to be a little bit of chaos and laugh at life like the Joker, and there are times when you need to be as serious as possible and do things to get the job done like Master Chief. There’s also time to breathe fire like Godzilla. There’s certain energy I can pull from these things. I like seeing them and I just kind of channel it when I look at them.”
Taylor admits he used to think it was strange when he would cross paths with Kittle before games and the tight end would be muttering to himself as he morphed into one of his Sunday characters. Then he realized everyone was going through their own transformations.
“Everyone’s doing this weird stuff before the game,” [Trent] Taylor said. “And it’s like, ‘Who am I to judge?’ We’ve all got to be a little bit crazy to play this game of football.”
49ers overreactions: Should team target wide receiver in offseason?
“Purdy is not getting rid of the ball as quickly as he did a year ago. Is that because he is less decisive? Is early pressure forcing him to move around to avoid sacks? Or are his receivers not getting open quick enough?
It could be all of those reasons.
Purdy ranks seventh-longest in the NFL this season, taking an average time of 3.05 seconds to throw. Last year, he took 2.74 seconds to throw.
Pro Football Focus has the 49ers’ pass-blocking ranked considerably better this season. Last year, the 49ers ranked 24th in pass blocking. This year, they’re 12th.
Still, we agree that nearly every position group on the 49ers should be examined. Measures should be taken to add good players at every position group. But particular attention should be paid on Purdy’s supporting cast because it’s obvious he is going to be the starter for a long time.”
“Thomas sustained a fractured forearm in the 49ers’ preseason opener and was placed on injured reserve at the start of the season. He has been cleared to play but the 49ers did not have a spot open for him on the team’s 53-man roster.
Thomas now is available for any team through the NFL’s waiver system.
Thomas, 25, appeared in 42 games with 11 starts over his three seasons with the 49ers. He earned the starting job as a rookie over Deommodore Lenoir and started five regular-season games and two playoff contests.
Thomas’ overtime interception of Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford clinched a playoff spot for the 49ers in the final game of the 2021 regular season.
Thomas ended his first season on a high note but he admitted to being unprepared for Year 2.
“I felt the (2021) season ended up pretty well for me,” Thomas told NBC Sports Bay Area in August 2023. “But going into last season, I didn’t set myself up good. I kind of felt like it was going to be given to me because I started in the playoffs and played good ball toward the end. I feel like I let up a little bit.”
Baldy on 49ers: I’d flip Brock Purdy for Sam Darnold right now
“They needed one play to win that game (against the Rams) and to stay in the race,” Baldinger said. “They couldn’t make one play, and that’s on the quarterback. … I was the biggest Brock Purdy fan and defender for three years, but they need to make one play against the Rams and they couldn’t make one play.”
When asked what he would tell 49ers general manager John Lynch if Purdy’s camp demanded top-five quarterback money, Baldinger boldly said, “I’d say I go flip him for Sam Darnold right now.”
Baldinger explained, “[Darnold] learned what a first-class franchise [was like], game planning, how to build a team [during his time with the 49ers]. He saw that for the first time in his life. Now, you get [Vikings head coach] Kevin O’Connell, who’s an elite play-caller with a very, very good offense that has a real style to it, and he’s flourishing.”