Kyle Shanahan has Super chance to make Brock Purdy more than Mr. Irrelevant with $265m contract

The San Francisco 49ers answered their first loss of the season like a Super Bowl champion. With the Indianapolis Colts engaging in a midseason fire sale , San Francisco followed up a frustrating 29-20 loss to the Atlanta Falcons with a smart trade. DeForest Buckner is a three-time Pro Bowler and former first-team All-Pro. The 32-year-old defensive lineman spent recent weeks becoming increasingly frustrated with the state of the Colts, who’ve fired Chris Ballard as general manager and traded Quenton Nelson to the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in the last two weeks. The consistently disappointing New York Jets could become the next beneficiary of Indy’s house cleaning . But what’s already obvious in Week 8 is that the 49ers turned a much-needed bye week into a serious advantage . Buckner now plays for San Francisco again, thanks to the 49ers giving up a future fourth-round pick for a proud defender with 75.5 career sacks, 683 combined tackles, nine forced fumbles and 11 fumble recoveries. Most importantly, Buckner added new strength to a 49ers defense that was already ranked sixth in the NFL in average points allowed (19.9). Factor in that Brock Purdy is playing the best football of his career, and the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft might never have a better shot at winning his first world championship ring. Purdy’s quarterback rating of 79.6 tops the NFL, while his career passer rating of 104.8 is the best in league history. With the 49ers ‘ offense ranked third this year in average scoring (28.1), it was impossible not to pick them as the best team in the league right now on this week’s episode of talkSPORT’s Inside the NFL — even after Michael Penix Jr ., Bijan Robinson and Drake London walked out of Mercedes-Benz Stadium last Sunday with a surprising win. Who would win if the 6-0 Minnesota Vikings , the NFL’s only remaining undefeated team, and the Purdy-led 49ers played on a neutral field this Sunday? Not the Viks, who’ve let Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy go in recent years, and are overelying on Brian Flores’ blitz-heavy defense. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs were humbled 20-3 by the Seahawks on Sunday Night Football, while Josh Allen is ‘backed’ by a horrible Buffalo Bills defense that ranks 30th out of 32 teams in points allowed (28.5). Even with an injury list that never seems to end, San Francisco is set up to win the NFC West, receive a first-round bye and enter the playoffs staring at a home state Super Bowl in Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium. Of course, Purdy must keep dealing and Kyle Shanahan must keep his name in Coach of the Year consideration. But trading for Buckner wasn’t just San Francisco adding a former name while the Colts tore their roster down to the studs. It was the 49ers already recognizing that they’re the best team in the NFL through seven games, and a QB once ridiculed for his $265m contract could win it all in 2026 without having to leaving California. Sign up for talkSPORT Stateside , the YouTube channel dedicated to passionate US Sports fans. Will Gavin, Brian T. Smith, former NFL star Efe Obada and a collection of special guests debate the biggest talking points across the NFL, soccer, NBA and more.