Full disclosure: I’m a Niners fan. And I’m pissed. Pissed that they just lost to our backup QB from last season, one of the worst QBs in the NFL. Pissed that for some reason they keep taking a dump when they play in Minnesota. Pissed that they can’t score more than 17 points despite all the All-Pro talent and all the money they’re throwing at them.

Yes, I realize it’s really early in the season, and I realize the Vikings are a pretty good team with Aaron Jones and Justin Jefferson with a very good coach in Kevin O’Connell. Even with Sam Darnold at QB they are pretty good. Losing 23-17 at Minnesota in an early Sunday game only six days after a Monday night game is nothing to be ashamed of.

But the warning signs are looming for the 49ers. Brock Purdy didn’t look good, and with Christian McCaffrey out for several weeks — and maybe longer — the 49ers are without their major engine on offense. Deebo Samuel is also injured with a calf strain, and who knows how long he’ll be out.

Until former holdout Brandon Aiyuk shakes off the rust and becomes the reliable connection he formed with Purdy last season, this team could struggle to score consistently.

But … bigger picture. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is now in his eighth season and has yet to deliver that elusive sixth Super Bowl title for the franchise. He’s come close for sure — narrow losses to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in two Super Bowls and a blown-lead defeat to Matt Stafford and the Rams in a NFC Championship Game.

The 49ers are old and pretty used up. McCaffrey has a lot of miles on his tread, as does George Kittle, Trent Williams and Kyle Juszczyk. Deebo Samuel isn’t busting off big runs like he did a couple of years ago. The defense is giving up third-down conversions at a horrendous rate.

But probably the biggest problem is Purdy. He is a good quarterback, not a great one. He will never be able to put a team on his back as can Mahomes or Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson or Joe Burrow. He needs a fully functional offense around him, needs Shanahan to call a creative game plan and the defense to do its part. When one of those fails, Purdy can get into trouble trying to do too much.

An even bigger issue is that, even if the 49ers can get back to the Super Bowl, Purdy will likely be going against a quarterback who’s better than him — Mahomes, Allen, Jackson, Burrow or even Justin Herbert potentially. The Niners will always be facing a QB mismatch during the Purdy Era, and more often than not that means another loss in the big game.

And what will happen after this season, when the 49ers have to pony up and pay Purdy possibly $60 million per season after he’s off his rookie contract? That’s money they won’t be able to pay other top-quality players. For example, they could lose their star cornerback tandem of Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir.

A five-year deal for Purdy worth $55 million per year or more could doom SF to five more years without a Super Bowl title. The 49ers have made a string of mind-bogglingly insane decisions during the Shanahan Era: giving a huge new contract to Jimmy Garoppolo after a mediocre playoff run culminating in the 2020 Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs. Trading away three first-round draft picks to be able to draft Trey Lance, who’s not even on the team anymore. Signing McCaffrey to a 2-year, $38 million extension despite knowing he had an injured Achilles’. Giving Aiyuk a 4-year, $120 million contract after months of tensions with the team. Is Brandon Aiyuk really a $30M-a-year receiver?

I’m not suggesting the Niners not pay Purdy. They have to, despite whatever reservations they may have about him. He’s done a great job and is one of the best in the NFC. He still hasn’t proven he can win a title, but he at least gives them a chance.

Maybe the Niners can run it back. They’ve been doing it for years. A crazy stat is that the 49ers have started the past three seasons with a 11-12 record only to then go 24-4 after that (and one of those losses was a meaningless defeat to the Rams after SF had wrapped up the No. 1 seed).

Maybe CMC will return in mid-season and be his same running and receiving monster. Maybe Purdy and Aiyuk will regain their potent passing connection. Maybe the defense will tighten up on third downs.

But those are a lot of maybes. The NFC is getting better, the AFC owns the QB room and the Niners are getting older, slower and more injury-prone.

The likelihood is, the Shanahan Era will one day end with the 49ers still hunting for that elusive sixth ring. It’s been 30 years. They can only hope that doesn’t become 40.