Questions have been circling San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan’s car accident because of the severity of his injuries and also because the incident had stayed out of the public eye for nearly two weeks.
The 49ers announced on July 25 that Shanahan had been involved in a serious car crash on July 14, revealing that he had suffered multiple injuries, including broken ribs, a broken nose, a broken left hand, and a concussion. The 11-day gap between the accident and the team’s announcement had many wondering how news this big had stayed private for so long.
Chris Simms Reflects on the 11-Day Silence About Kyle Shanahan’s Accident
Former NFL quarterback and NBC analyst Chris Simms, one of Shanahan’s longtime friends, said on Monday that he was just as surprised by the delay. On “Pro Football Talk” with Mike Florio, Simms said he knew about the accident almost immediately but did not speak publicly out of respect for their friendship.
Simms said that, throughout those 11 days, he kept expecting someone else to break the story.
“I was sitting there every day after it happened going, ‘Is the news gonna break today? Is the news gonna break today? Is the news gonna break today,’ right?”
He mentioned that he and his wife repeatedly talked about how remarkable it was that nothing had come out.
“We looked at each other, and we were like, ‘Huh, this is pretty amazing, it still hasn’t come out.’”
BUILD YOUR OWN TOP 100: PFN’s FREE NFL Top 100 Builder
Although surprised, Simms believes there were several reasons why the accident stayed private. He pointed to Shanahan’s reputation in the Bay Area, saying the coach has built strong relationships over the years with people throughout the community. According to him, Shanahan’s ability to treat everyone well has earned him a great deal of goodwill.
“I think when you get down into it, this is where having goodwill, treating people the right way, being successful, being powerful as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, but being a guy that everybody in the community likes and knows, and that’s where Kyle is gifted and cool,” Simms said.
Simms also noted that Shanahan was reportedly returning from a chiropractic appointment and was close to the 49ers’ facilities when the crash occurred. Because NFL teams often have established relationships with local emergency responders and police departments around their stadiums, Simms felt those circumstances may have also contributed to the information remaining confidential.
“I was surprised it took that long to come out as well,” Simms added. “But, at the same time, I understood it once I heard a few of those details that I just explained right there.”
BE THE GM OF YOUR FAVORITE TEAM: PFN’s FREE NFL Mock Draft Simulator
In the meantime, Simms also shared other details about the crash itself, wherein he first learned about the accident through a message from Shanahan’s wife, Mandy, who texted both him and his wife shortly after it happened.
“She sent us some pictures right off the bat, and it was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ So just to let you know, 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 also shared that Shanahan suffered from a facial wound, which was very near to his right eye, and even now, Simms said the concussion is Shanahan’s biggest challenge to overcome. Although the visible injuries have improved, he explained the concussion symptoms have lingered much longer than first expected, saying:
“It took a few days for him to realize, ‘Whoa, I’m not working the right way.’ You know, at first, ‘Yeah, I got in a car accident.’ And, of course, you know you’re going to be a little fuzzy and not normal,” Simms said about Shanahan. “But then I feel like it got into somewhere like day six or seven and you’re starting to now [say], ‘Hey, I should start feeling better. I should start thinking more clearly.’ Things like that. And I know he was a little alarmed about, like, ‘I’m not functioning at a high level.’”
Nevertheless, Shanahan has returned to the 49ers during training camp, albeit in a limited capacity. He briefly attended Sunday’s practice for around 30 minutes and will participate on a restricted basis until he receives full medical clearance from the concussion.
