San Francisco 49ers and Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy want revenge against ‘hated’ Eagles in likely NFC Championship warmup – just 11 months after being humiliated by Jalen Hurts, Jason Kelce & Co.

San Francisco 49ers star Deebo Samuel has stubbornly refused to retract his statements about the rival Philadelphia Eagles.

Since losing the NFC Championship in Philadelphia last January, the sensational wide receiver has described the Eagles as his “most hated team” and called cornerback James Bradbury “trash.”

But as of Monday, ahead of this week's rematch in Philadelphia, Samuel's disdain for the Eagles had not disappeared: “I don't regret anything I say.”

Eagles receiver AJ Brown responded in kind, imploring the Philadelphia faithful to “troll” Samuel on social media: “You have my permission.”

And as if the typical trash talk isn't enough, Sunday afternoon's clash is actually a crucial match.

At 10-1, the Eagles have a strong hold on the top seed in the NFC playoff and a first-round bye, not to mention home field advantage in a potential NFC Championship rematch with the 8-3 Niners .

But with a win on Sunday, Brock Purdy & Co. can win a matchup against Jalen Hurts, Jason Kelce and the rest of the reigning NFC champions.

Oddly enough, the 49ers opened as a 2.5-point favorite to do just that, largely due to the play of Purdy, who has seven touchdown passes and just one interception during the team's ongoing three-game winning streak.

The 49ers already know what it's like to play Nick Sirianni's team without Purdy, who injured his elbow early in the NFC title game, leaving San Francisco without a true quarterback for much of the game.

They lost 31-7 as an apparent result of Purdy's injury, but an anonymous 49ers player blamed the referee.

“It felt like once Purdy got hurt, someone from the league called and said, 'Make sure the Eagles go to the Super Bowl, and don't [the Niners],'' the unnamed player told the San Francisco Chronicle.

With their starting quarterback guiding the offense, San Francisco appears to have moved beyond the conspiracy theories and currently boasts the top passing offense in football in terms of quarterback rating.

Purdy, a 23-year-old Iowa State product who won the Mr. Earning Irrelevant honors as the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, he has been a revelation over the past two seasons. And even after tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow last January, the former Cyclones star has only entrenched himself on the 49ers' depth chart after offseason surgery.

He was particularly sharp in San Francisco's win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 19, throwing for 333 yards and three touchdowns on 21-of-25 passing.

And Purdy hasn't overly relied on one receiver, instead sharing the wealth among wideouts Samuel (34 receptions) and Brandon Aiyuk (45), tight end George Kittle (46), as well as running back Christian McCaffrey (48).

It has helped that Kyle Shanahan's team has been largely healthy this season.

Both right guard Spencer Burford (knee) and left guard Aaron Banks (turf toe) have returned to practice after some recent injuries, leaving the 49ers' depth chart relatively intact for Sunday.

The Eagles, on the other hand, are dealing with a number of significant injuries.

Right tackle Lane Johnson hopes to return from a groin injury on Sunday. He and tight ends Dallas Goedert (forearm) and Grant Calcaterra (ankle) are all listed as “questionable.”

All three were inactive Sunday night as the Eagles earned their most impressive win of the season over the visiting Buffalo Bills.

Trailing by three in the final minute, the Eagles' Jake Elliott sent the game into overtime with a 59-yard field goal.

But the story was all Hurts in the extra frame as he ran for the winning touchdown on a sloppy night in rainy Philadelphia.

“That's who he is, that's what he does,” said Eagles receiver Olamide Zaccheaus, who caught one of Hurts' three touchdown passes on Sunday. 'He has shown that time and time again. Something I always say, ''When someone shows you who he or she is, believe it.'' I believe that's Jalen.'

“There's not a lot of guys I've played with, probably no one I've played with, that's been the case more lately,” Kelce agreed.

'He has been so good in crucial situations where things have to happen. That is a trait that should not be taken lightly. I think if you look at most of the best players, that's a trait they have to have. The main reason we won over the last three weeks is his ability to really get it done when it matters most.”

Hurts was about as good in Super Bowl LVII, throwing for 304 yards and a touchdown on 27-of-38 passing before Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes made a miraculous comeback from a bad ankle.

But if the Eagles want to have another shot at the Super Bowl, they'll have to prove themselves against a red-hot, healthy 49ers team that boasts the NFL's fifth-ranked defense. The Eagles, on the other hand, rank just 19th in defense and have given up nearly twice as many touchdowns (30 to 17).

So Sunday is not just any regular season game. It's an important benchmark for both teams, and it could serve as an all-important tiebreaker on top of the NFC playoff picture: home field advantage, a first-round bye and bragging rights are all on the line.