San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan suffered multiple injuries in a car crash on July 14, which limit his availability for training camp, the team announced Saturday.
Niners general manager John Lynch addressed the media on July 25 regarding Shanahan’s condition and the team’s plan. While Shanahan has been recovering from his injuries, he has returned to coaching duties on a limited level.
“Here’s the great news: It looks like everyone’s doing all right,” Lynch told reporters. “The other driver seems to be doing all right. I don’t want to speak to that, because that’s just second-hand knowledge.”
“Kyle is doing good,” Lynch added. “He’s got some bumps and bruises. He did suffer a concussion in the accident, has some lingering effects from that concussion.”
While the NFL doesn’t have concussion protocol for staff members, the 49ers will adjust accordingly, Lynch said. Shanahan is entering his 10th season as the head coach for the 49ers.
“Kyle basically is going to be like in the protocol” for players with concussions, Lynch said. “We’re going to let … the doctors dictate how he comes back, when he comes back.”
“He’s been in the building, so we’ve seen him. It’s kind of like we do with our players, a phased back approach,” Lynch added. “Number one for Kyle and the Shanahan family is getting him back right.”
Lynch said Shanahan also suffered a broken his nose. “He broke some ribs, that’s painful, but that’s not what’s keeping him away. It’s the concussion,” Lynch said.
“And like I said, we‘ll continue to evaluate him, phase him back. And as he can tolerate things, we’ll expand those, and that will clearly be dictated by the doctors and nothing else.”
With Shanahan limited, the 49ers will turn to assistant head coach Chris Foerster. Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak, and special teams coordinator Brant Boyer will take on more responsibilities.
“We’ll probably do less team meetings because Kyle usually sits up here and talks football for 30 minutes,” Lynch said humorously. “Chris is kind of a grouchy guy. He doesn’t really believe in breakdowns and all that, so Raheem may do the breakdowns.”
Forester has a wealth of experience with 33 years of coaching in the NFL, and he has been on the 49ers staff since 2019 in addition to working with Shanahan for 13 years. Morris has prior head coaching experience with the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Kubiak has been on the 49ers staff since 2021.
“We’re not blinking,” Lynch said. “I believe our culture kind of speaks for itself, and we believe what our culture is: the people.”
“Chris is one of those who we think very highly of,” Lynch added. “He’s equipped to do this. Our staff is equipped, but it will very much be a collective effort.”
While the regular season is more than a month away, the 49ers have a small chance of not having Shanahan back on the sidelines for Week 1. That’s because the season opener is an ocean away in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 10 when the 49ers face the Los Angeles Rams.
“That’s not what we’re anticipating,” Lynch said regarding Week 1. “That’s not what I’ve heard from the doctors. But just like we talked about with players, the timeline kind of takes care of itself.”
“He’s got to meet certain markers. But I think the expectation is that long before that he'll be better,” Lynch added. “But again, everybody responds to these things differently, and we’re going to do whatever it takes to have him right when he comes back.”
Shanahan, who has been with the team since 2017, has an 82–67 record in the regular season and a 9–5 playoff record. He’s looking to get the 49ers back to the Super Bowl for a third time since 2019.
“He’s a tremendous head coach, but this is bigger than that,” Lynch said. “This is about his well-being, and we’re going to take the time necessary, and I think we’re very equipped to do that.”
After all, the 49ers have a plethora of veterans ready to take on more responsibility. Lynch named many of them and shared a message linebacker Fred Warner sent to Shanahan.
“I was with Fred the other day ... Fred got back to Kyle right away, and his message was, ‘We got this, Coach. We got this. Trust us,’” Lynch said. “And so, absolutely, the Trent Williamses, the Kyle Juszczyks, the Fred Warners, Christian McCaffreys, Brock Purdys, we’ve got tremendous leadership.”
