Bayless on 49ers: I don't believe in Kyle Shanahan or Brock Purdy

The San Francisco 49ers' collapse in Super Bowl 58 has fueled skepticism from one controversial media personality, indicating a lack of trust in two key figures of the franchise. Skip Bayless is among those doubting quarterback Brock Purdy's capabilities, which isn't new information. Additionally, he questions head coach Kyle Shanahan's effectiveness.

Bayless says he was confident that the Kansas City Chiefs would beat the 49ers because of superior coaching by Andy Reid and exceptional talent in quarterback Patrick Mahomes. With Steve Spagnuolo leading the Chiefs' defense, Bayless believes the result was inevitable.

"I'm sorry. More than ever, I don't believe in Kyle Shanahan, and I don't believe in Brock Purdy," Bayless said on his FOX Sports podcast. "And I like the heck out of both of them. Seriously, from my heart, I think they're both really good people. I've never heard a bad word about Kyle Shanahan. [Lil] Wayne loves him. [Shanahan] named his son (Carter) after Wayne. Richard Sherman, [who] I work with on 'Undisputed,' just loves him and swears by him and never at him.

"And the more I listened to Brock Purdy building up to Super Bowl Week, the more I liked him off the field. Love it that he shares his faith. I share his faith. I just don't really believe in him as a top-tier, Super Bowl-winning quarterback. I think he'll always be very good but never great. It's a gut feeling."

Purdy, the last pick in the 2022 draft, has been a remarkable success story for the NFL. Initially buried in the 49ers' depth chart, he seized an opportunity to play during his rookie season following injuries to two quarterbacks and was more impressive than anyone could have predicted.

Shanahan and the 49ers were so confident in Purdy that he was declared the starting quarterback in 2023 despite coming off major surgery on his throwing arm. A year after guiding San Francisco to the NFC Championship Game, Purdy led the team to the Super Bowl.

However, the heartbreaking loss in overtime has led Bayless to question both the coach and quarterback.

Bayless stated, "And in the end, Andy Reid and Spags just coached rings around Kyle and [former 49ers defensive coordinator] Steve Wilks—coached rings around them."

While the Shanahan doubters have been out in full force since the recent loss, Purdy has faced skepticism since his first NFL start. Critics labeled him as a game manager, attempting to undermine his achievements, which included setting a new 49ers single-season franchise record with 4,280 passing yards and emerging as an MVP finalist.

Despite the setback, Shanahan, Purdy, and the 49ers aim to bounce back and make another run at Super Bowl glory in the 2024 season.