Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith has always been positive when talking about the team that selected him No. 1 overall in the 2005 NFL Draft. He remains bullish on the Niners because of the tandem they have in head coach Kyle Shanahan and quarterback Brock Purdy.

In an interview with Bay Area sports personality Larry Krueger, Smith heaped praise on both Shanahan and Purdy, delivering a strong endorsement that underscores why the 49ers continue to be viewed as legitimate championship contenders despite recent challenges.

Shanahan: A Future Mount Rushmore Candidate?

Beginning with Shanahan, Smith said: “You have a chance every year with Kyle. I think he’s one of the best head coaches in football. He reminds me a lot of when I went to Kansas City with Andy Reid. Andy at that point was widely regarded as an amazing head coach, but hadn’t won the big one yet. Kyle’s been on the doorstep how many times now knocking on the door and it’s gonna happen and it’s gonna be an avalanche. Then all of a sudden we are gonna be talking about him on the Mount Rushmore.”

That’s a pretty bold statement from Smith, but he makes a good point. If Shanahan can finally break through, maybe that could lead to three or four Super Bowl wins, and his name could come up when talking about some of the best coaches in NFL history.

The point about Reid is a scary one, though. Reid had to go to the Chiefs and win the lottery on Patrick Mahomes before he won his Super Bowls, so maybe Shanahan needs the same thing. Perhaps he won’t win until he goes somewhere else, which would be a shame with how agonizingly close he has come with San Francisco.

Purdy: The Ultimate Competitor

As for Purdy, Smith was just as effusive with his praise: “This is a guy that I think will always give you a chance to be in contention. Look at last year, if that’s not an example— they had no business doing what they did last year. Given all the adversity and who they were playing against.”

He’s right that Purdy did a lot last year to disprove those who simply label him as a “system quarterback.” He won without his best guys, with a banged-up defense and made a number of off-schedule plays that show he is very comfortable making plays when the system breaks down.

That hasn’t necessarily led to analysts ranking him among the best quarterbacks in the game, but it may take him winning a Super Bowl to change that.

The Power of a Locked-In Tandem

The coach-QB tandem is something NFL teams try so hard to get right. If those two spots are stable, it makes everything else much easier to manage. In truly special cases, it can lead to dynasties in the case of Bill Walsh and Joe Montana or Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.

The 49ers finally have their tandem locked in with Shanahan and Purdy. San Francisco may only have until the end of Purdy’s contract to have a realistic shot at winning a ring, so that window is still open even if it’s closing. The best chance likely already passed, but that doesn’t mean the Niners can’t get a little lucky and get one.

Smith has always been positive about the Niners, but he’s right that San Francisco has something special with Shanahan and Purdy. Whether it results in a Super Bowl remains to be seen, but at least the franchise is a lot better off than the vast majority of NFL teams.