49ers broadcaster Guy Haberman sits down with Matt Barrows of The Athletic, in his 25th year covering the 49ers and co-host of the 49ers Plus/Minus Podcast, to talk about his debut thriller novel, the evolution of the team under Kyle Shanahan, and what makes Brock Purdy unique.

 00:00 – Intro
 00:55 – Matt’s debut novel, Muddy the Water, co-written with his sister
 01:12 – Growing up an Orioles fan outside D.C.
 03:04 – Writing on deadline as a reporter vs. writing fiction at night
 04:19 – How character names are chosen, and why some NFL names are great for storytelling
 06:38 – The 10-year wall, and covering eight 49ers head coaches in 24 years
 07:02 – How Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch were paired up and first met
 09:46 – Why the team’s 30-somethings may be its biggest advantage over the Bears
 12:30 – Why Brock Purdy’s real story would be “too cheesy” as fiction
 13:57 – Breaking down what makes Purdy a processing “unicorn,” and the S2 test
 16:28 – How Purdy may have changed the way Kyle Shanahan coaches
 17:36 – The balance between quarterback instincts and aging into mental peak
 19:39 – Comparing Purdy’s improvisational ability to Russell Wilson
 21:09 – Does this team have “it”? Comparing it to the 2011 and 2019 squads
 23:27 – Matt’s path from a small South Carolina paper to 30 years covering sports
 24:29 – The origin story behind writing Muddy the Water with his sister
 26:24 – A debate on quality binoculars at practice