Kyle Shanahan 'Glad' 49ers Won't Play Eagles in Opener amid 2023 NFL Schedule Release

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has added another verse to the one-sided trash talk with the Philadelphia Eagles that has emerged since the end of the NFC Championship Game.

Shanahan said he's "glad" the 49ers won't play the Eagles in Week 1 this season, because he wants "to play them at a better time" and "make sure our whole team is right there."

The NFL announced on Wednesday the NFC Championship Game rematch will be played on Dec. 3 at Lincoln Financial Field.

The 49ers were robbed of an opportunity to showcase everything they could do against the Eagles in January after Brock Purdy suffered an elbow injury early in the first quarter.

Josh Johnson took over at quarterback, but he got knocked out of the game with a concussion in the third quarter. Purdy was brought back in at that point because they didn't have another quarterback available, but he was essentially limited to handoffs since he was not able to throw the ball.

Several 49ers players spoke out against the Eagles following their 31-7 loss. In an interview with Complex's Zion Olojede, Deebo Samuel said Philadelphia has surpassed the Los Angeles Rams as his most-hated team.

"All the trash talk coming from the Eagles fanbase and the players," Samuel explained, "you just get tired of that."

Shanahan's comment is pretty tame compared to the sentiments of other members of the Niners, though indirectly it does seem to further confirm that Purdy is guaranteed to be the starter when he's healthy.

Purdy, who had elbow surgery on March 10, may not be ready for the start of the regular season. He is expected to start a throwing program in June and will need time to build his arm strength back up.

General manager John Lynch told reporters in March that Purdy "earned the right" to be the starter with how well he played after taking over last season following injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo.

Lance, the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL draft, has been cleared to return ahead of organized team activities. He could compete with Sam Darnold, who signed a one-year deal in free agency, to be the Week 1 starter if Purdy is unable to go.

Regardless of who is playing quarterback for the 49ers in Week 13, their comments over the past three months will add a lot more intrigue to a game that could end up having huge ramifications on playoff seeding in the NFC.