When the San Francisco 49ers put out their statement Saturday about Kyle Shanahan being in a car accident, they called the injuries “non-life-threatening.” True enough, but it still reads a little sterile when you consider how scary the whole thing actually was.
A clearer picture came on Monday’s “Pro Football Talk,” when NFL analyst Chris Simms described what he’d been told, and it was jarring.
What Happened During Kyle Shanahan’s Car Accident
The crash, according to reports, happened July 14, not far from Shanahan’s home in Northern California. His car hit an SUV, and paramedics brought him to a local hospital. He was treated and sent home that same day. Palo Alto police said the other driver wasn’t hurt, alcohol and drugs weren’t factors, and both drivers cooperated as the incident was looked into.
Shanahan didn’t walk away lightly. He broke his nose, three ribs, and a hand, suffered a serious concussion, and needed more than 40 stitches in his face.
Simms, who has known Shanahan for years, said he was aware of the accident before the team ever went public, but kept it to himself. He didn’t even tell his on-air partner, Mike Florio. He said Shanahan’s wife, Mandy, texted him photos soon after it happened, and seeing the damage up close was shocking.
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“It was scary. There’s no doubt about that. It was scary,” Simms said. “So just to let you know and paint the picture, you’ve seen the injury report, the broken ribs, 40 stitches in the face, the broken nose, broken left hand, of course, the bad concussion. But when you first see it, and it’s fresh, and some of the cuts are still wide open, I mean, it’s jarring.”
“He was this close to maybe losing his right eye, the scar is so big right here. And so all that stuff was just crazy to see,” Simms added. “Of course, I’m thinking of my friend. But yeah, it’s tough. And he’s still battling with this concussion. He’s healing. His face looks a whole lot better. But this concussion, of course, being a part of that kind of accident, is lingering, and it’s giving him issues. And he’s certainly still dealing with that.”
Chris Simms shared some information on Kyle Shanahan’s car accident and revealed he was close to losing an eye 😳
Via: @ProFootballTalk pic.twitter.com/I7ZrjCsv62
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) July 27, 2026
He also talked about what it did to Shanahan emotionally. Once the initial chaos passed and the reality set in, Simms said his friend was rattled and overwhelmed by how close things were to turning truly tragic. Trying to carry that shock while also gearing up for training camp only made it heavier.
“It shook him up, right?” Simms continued. “I don’t think he’d have any problem with me sharing this. It hit him hard, right? He was emotional about it because he realized how close it was to being just a complete, utter disaster… He’s very concerned about the woman he got in the accident with and how she is, and handling that situation. So there’s just a lot there. And I think it was a lot for him to process a lot at first as well.”
Where Things Stand Now for Shanahan
Shanahan has been at the 49ers training camp, but only in a limited capacity as he works through concussion recovery. The doctors haven’t cleared him to fully coach yet, and the team has said he won’t resume his normal workload until the symptoms are gone.
Around the league, the reaction has mostly been relief. Rams coach Sean McVay, who crossed paths with Shanahan earlier in their careers, said he’s been in touch since the crash and spoke highly of how Shanahan has handled the recovery.
For the moment, the 49ers are taking a cautious approach and bringing him back slowly. Shanahan has about six weeks to get to full strength ahead of their season opener against the Rams in Australia on September 10.
