Kyle Shanahan glad 49ers won't open 2023 season at Eagles

Head coach Kyle Shanahan is pleased his San Francisco 49ers won't open the 2023 NFL season against the reigning NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles. 

"I am glad we’re not playing Philly Week 1," Shanahan admitted during an event on Wednesday night, as shared by Cam Inman of The Mercury News. "I want to play them at a better time. I want to make sure our whole team is right there...We felt we didn’t get to do it last time, and I’m ready to go back again." 

The full NFL schedule won't be released until Thursday night, but it has been "leaked" that the Eagles will host the 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field in Week 13 on Dec. 3. 

The 49ers were already without quarterbacks Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo because of injury setbacks during the NFC Championship Game at Philadelphia this past January when 2022 rookie sensation Brock Purdy went down with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Fourth-choice option Josh Johnson was later ruled out with a concussion, and the 49ers cruised to a 31-7 win to earn a trip to Super Bowl LVII. 

Shortly after the loss, one anonymous San Francisco player curiously suggested that the NFL wanted the Eagles in the Super Bowl over what were, at the time, the quarterback-less 49ers. More recently, 49ers dual-threat weapon Deebo Samuel noted he considers the Eagles "100%" his most hated team in all the NFL. 

"I don’t like going back to Philly again," Shanahan added. "My wife’s bitter about it a little bit. She didn’t like her fan experience in the stands. So she’s not going this time." 

While the hope is that Purdy will be cleared to play by the first Sunday of December, free-agency signing Sam Darnold seems to be the leader in the clubhouse to start for the 49ers over 2021 first-round draft pick Trey Lance when the season gets underway in September.