San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was involved in a serious car accident on July 14. While the news didn’t come out until days later, the details that have since surfaced show just how dangerous the situation Shanahan was dealing with was.
The 49ers have appointed assistant head coach Chris Foerster to take over head coaching duties until Shanahan can get back to feeling like himself.
Yet, after suffering a concussion, broken ribs, a fractured hand, and a broken nose, it could take a while for the 49ers to get their head coach back.
Kyle Shanahan’s Comeback Has a ‘Layer of Unpredictability’
There’s no official timetable for Shanahan to make a full recovery. Though, like in many cases where players are in the concussion protocol, the 49ers head coach’s return to the sidelines is complicated.
Even if the 49ers revealed a timeline, knowing how head injuries can be so temperamental, history suggests that Shanahan’s return date could fluctuate from day to day or even week to week.
According to Sports Illustrated’s NFL insider Albert Breer, there’s a “layer of unpredictability” involved when people, especially those in high-stress situations, return to their jobs.
“So the good news is, first and foremost, that the husband and father of three is going to be, by all accounts, fine,” Breer wrote. “GM John Lynch even said that the team’s information doesn’t hold that Shanahan will miss even a single regular-season game.
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“Lynch said that the plan is for the doctors to borrow from the players’ concussion protocol in handling Shanahan’s recovery and return. That said, I’ve learned that with concussions, there’s a layer of unpredictability, especially for someone preparing to go back to a taxing, high-stress job.”
The truth is, the 49ers may have no clue when Shanahan may be equipped to wear his coaching headset again. Lynch doesn’t believe the 49ers’ head coach will miss any regular season games. Yet, after receiving 40 stitches in his head and reportedly coming close to losing an eye, Shanahan’s likely just happy to be alive right now.
There’s no telling how long Shanahan’s absence will linger, but the team is confident that the leaders they have on both sides of the ball will help in their head coach’s absence.
With long-time veterans like Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Kyle Juszczyk, Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, who have all heard Shanahan’s training camp message several times, much of this core won’t miss a beat without their head coach.
Part of that process also involves having a veteran assistant head coach like Foerster, who’s been on Shanahan’s staff in San Francisco since 2019. Together, they hope to steady the ship until Shanahan’s ready to take over again.
