It’s no secret that the San Francisco 49ers did not have the 2024 campaign that they were hoping for last season. After coming up just short of winning Super Bowl LIV against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Niners entered the year expecting to be a title contender. Instead, a rash of injuries made the team virtually unrecognizable by the end of the season, and they ultimately won only six games.
Heading into the 2025 campaign, there’s a level of optimism surrounding the team, and that’s a sentiment that former Pro Bowl tight end Vernon Davis shared when discussing his expectations for the new season.
In an exclusive interview with Heavy on 49ers, Davis shared a unique comparison for star 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, while also shedding light on his investment in G.O.A.T. Fuel, a company co-founded by another San Francisco legend, Jerry Rice.
Which Former Star Quarterback Does Brock Purdy Remind Vernon Davis Of?
Since retiring from the NFL after the 2019 season, Davis has kept close tabs on the 49ers, which is where he spent nine-and-a-half years of his 14-year playing career. The 49ers recently unearthed a diamond in the rough in Purdy, who was selected with the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. When watching Purdy under center, Davis compared him to a former Super Bowl-winning passer, which will surely excite Niners fans.
“He’s very patient, he’s very poised in the pocket,” Davis said to Heavy on 49ers. “He seems to make great decisions, very accurate. And his attitude towards the game, it’s just amazing. I’d compare him to Drew Brees.”
Similar to Purdy, Brees had to overcome some adversity early in his career before becoming a star. There were concerns that Brees, standing at just six feet tall, was too short to succeed as a quarterback in the NFL, and he suffered a serious shoulder injury in 2005 that nearly jeopardized his career. However, he ended up leading the New Orleans Saints to victory in Super Bowl XLIV, which is precisely what the 49ers are hoping Purdy can do for them.
Surrounding Purdy with a strong supporting cast is key, and one of his favorite targets in the passing game is star tight end George Kittle. Davis is unsurprisingly a big fan of Kittle’s, but it’s not necessarily because of his flashy highlight reel plays. Instead, Davis appreciates all the little things Kittle does on the field that help make him one of the most well-rounded players in the league.
“I think his ability and willingness to get out there and be a blocker,” Davis said when asked what stands out to him most when watching Kittle. “A lot of tight ends just go and catch passes, but he does it all. He can block, he can catch the ball in space, make people miss. He also becomes a nightmare for any position on defense, whether it’s a corner, safety, nickel, you name it. If he’s lining up one-on-one, I bet on George Kittle.
With guys like Purdy and Kittle leading the way, the 49ers have a shot at coming out on top in NFC West division this season. Davis certainly believes it’s possible, saying, “I think they could definitely do it. They’ve been able to keep a lot of their core players together, and I think when you do that … the odds are really there. If I had to bet on them, I would bet really high because of the potential that they have.”
Vernon Davis Discusses Investment in G.O.A.T. Fuel
GettyVernon Davis was an integral part of a 49ers squad that played in Super Bowl XLVII against the Baltimore Ravens on February 3, 2013.
Since calling it a career in the NFL, Davis has kept busy, enjoying a successful transition into the world of business. His latest project has seen him invest in G.O.A.T. Fuel, a premium sports energy drink company co-founded by Rice, his daughter, Jacqui Rice Gold, and son-in-law, Trevion Gold. When Rice presented the company to Davis, he quickly saw how great an opportunity it was.
“Jerry presented it to me on a high level, and I saw everything that they were doing, everything they were trying to do, and the future looks bright for G.O.A.T. Fuel,” Davis said. “I’m a huge fan. I can see that they’re really making great strides to growing the company. I thought it was a great investment and something to build on.”
This isn’t Davis’ first foray into the health and beverage industry, as he was an early investor in PATH Water, and he also owns several Jamba franchise locations in Northern California. When combining his interest in G.O.A.T. Fuel and the ability to work with Rice, the opportunity to invest was too good for Davis to pass up.
G.O.A.T. Fuel will obviously be taking up some of Davis’ time moving forward, but it’s not the only project he has in the works currently. Davis is also developing a short thriller film called “Artisan” alongside award-winning filmmaker Joslyn Rose Lyons, with the former NFL star serving as a producer and co-writer for the project. Filming is currently underway, with J. Alphonse Nicholson and Myles Bullock being among the members of the cast.
Exclusive: Vernon Davis Compares Brock Purdy to Former Super Bowl MVP