A look at the 49ers Championship merchandise that could have been

Steve Wilks took over as the San Francisco 49ers defense coordinator after DeMeco Ryans departed to be the head coach of the Houston Texans. The unit was the top-ranked defense last season, so Wilks was tasked with continuing what worked well but putting his stamp on it. The 49ers defense has looked formidable in its first three games and could once again end up being one of the league's best. While his players have been impressed with Wilks as a coach, Wilks has been equally impressed with those he is coaching. And it's not just because of the on-field talent level. "So, I told you guys back in the spring, I've never been around an elite group like this before," Wilks said on Thursday. "And it's not just so much the talent; it's about how we work.

Former San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula has guided the Rhein Fire to a European League of Football championship. The 49ers named Tomsula their head coach in 2015 after the firing of Jim Harbaugh. His tenure lasted just one season as San Francisco went 5-11 that season. Chip Kelly replaced Tomsula in 2016, who also lasted just one season. Kyle Shanahan has been the 49ers head coach since 2017. Tomsula went on to serve as the defensive line coach for Washington (2017-19) and the Dallas Cowboys (2020) before being named the new Rhein Fire head coach last year. It was a reunion with the team he coached in 2006, when the Rhein Fire were a part of NFL Europe. Tomsula guided his European team to a 7-5 record last year. This year, he went 12-0

The undefeated Miami Dolphins' 70-20 win over the winless Denver Broncos has shot them to the top of multiple power rankings. However, for most, the San Francisco 49ers sit in the top spot. Also undefeated and sitting atop the NFC West standings, the 49ers are coming off a 30-12 win over the New York Giants. The team is so well-rounded, and Brock Purdy continues to rack up the wins as the starting quarterback. San Francisco has started the regular season 3-0 for the ninth time in franchise history and has now won 13 consecutive regular-season games dating back to Week 8 of last season. It's the longest active streak in the NFL and the second-longest winning streak in franchise

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk recently attracted criticism for bizarrely questioning San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy's worthiness of the "franchise quarterback" label because his name resembled "Turdy." "I think people have a hard time looking at that name and saying that's a franchise quarterback," Florio noted. The Pro Football Talk writer joined 95.7 The Game on Wednesday morning and explained the comments, noting that they were part of a broader conversation about why some are reluctant to embrace the 49ers' second-year player as a franchise quarterback. RELATED: