49ers' Fred Warner shares special label for Raiders' Jimmy Garoppolo

Joint practices involving the San Francisco 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders allowed San Francisco linebacker Fred Warner to catch up with old friend and Las Vegas quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. 

"Some guys are just natural-born leaders," Warner said about Garoppolo shortly after Thursday's session concluded, as shared by David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone. "You either got it or you don't. And with him, he was a natural-born leader through and through. His competitive edge, every time he stepped out there, you knew he was always going to give us a chance. Just seeing him and his poise out there, he was just a leader through and through, and I respect him a lot, and I'm grateful for him, for everything he brought to our team."

Warner joined the 49ers as a 2018 third-round draft pick and spent his first five seasons as Garoppolo's teammate. 

Jimmy G accumulated a 38-17-0 regular-season record as San Francisco's starting signal-caller, and he helped the club reach three NFC Championship games and also Super Bowl LIV. 

Most recently, Garoppolo was recovering from a broken left foot when 2022 rookie sensation Brock Purdy guided the 49ers to this past January's conference title clash. 

San Francisco allowed Garoppolo to hit free agency when the new league year opened in March, and he ultimately signed a three-year contract with the Raiders that could be worth up to $72.5M.

"It was fun seeing him," Warner added about Garoppolo. "I had to check him out before practice started, just ask him how things were...He seems happy. It was fun to go against him out there again."

Purdy seems well on his way to starting for the Niners in Week 1 coming off elbow surgery he had in March, and he eventually will look to earn the one victory Garoppolo never recorded while with the club. 

Garoppolo's injury history unquestionably impacted San Francisco's decision to go in a different direction regarding the position, but it's clear he and his former teammates built lifelong bonds during his tenure with the organization.