In a candid interview with Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan disclosed his contingency plan had the team defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in last season’s NFC Championship Game.
With starting quarterback Brock Purdy and backup Josh Johnson both sidelined due to injuries during the crucial game, Shanahan revealed that he would have attempted to recruit retired quarterback Philip Rivers for the Super Bowl.
Purdy’s untimely departure from the NFC title game came after suffering a torn UCL early on, while Johnson later left the field due to a concussion. This left the 49ers with limited options, and Purdy, despite playing with obvious limitations, attempted only four passes throughout the game.
Reflecting on the challenging situation, Shanahan explained, “The whole thing I’m just thinking is, ‘Man, I hope Brock’s not as bad as they’re saying and what’s going to be our Plan B? Are we going to have to get Philip Rivers, someone like that, for the Super Bowl?’ Because that’s what I’m thinking. ‘Cause I didn’t think Jimmy [Garoppolo] was going to be ready, and all I’m thinking is, ‘Man, I hope Brock is not as bad as they’re saying, and someone like Philip Rivers is working out and ready to go here in two weeks because that’s still our plan.’ And when I accepted reality, it took me a while to get over.”
The absence of Purdy and Johnson proved to be a significant blow for the 49ers, leading to a 31-7 loss against the NFC’s top-seeded Eagles. This marked the second consecutive year that San Francisco fell short in the NFC title game.
The Eagles went on to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 57, ultimately ending their season with a loss.
Rivers, who retired after a successful one-year stint with the Indianapolis Colts in 2020, had demonstrated his ability to lead a team to an 11-5 record and nearly upset the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round. This indicated that Rivers still had some quality football left in him at the time of his retirement.
Interestingly, the New Orleans Saints reached out to Rivers about un-retiring during the 2021 season as injuries piled up among their quarterbacks. However, Rivers made it clear that he had no intentions of returning to the field, staying committed to his decision to retire.
As the new NFL season approaches, the 49ers are determined to put last year’s heartbreak behind them and come back stronger, with a refreshed and healthy roster.
Luckily for them, it looks like Purdy will be completely healthy and ready for week one.
Let’s just imagine the 49ers beat the Eagles in last year’s NFC Championship Game.. Do you think they could have beat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl with Rivers at quarterback?
Philip Rivers 2015 Highlights… #BoltUp #ChargeOn pic.twitter.com/zflyzsGcBz
— ⚡️Bolt Gang⚡️😈👿 (@boltgang323) September 7, 2016