County's communication of sports ban disappoints Shanahan

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INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- After what has seemed to be insurmountable obstacles throughout 2020, Santa Clara County has thrown another curveball at the 49ers, and coach Kyle Shanahan is not pleased. 

As if getting on a plane in the middle of a pandemic to play a NFC West rival wasn’t enough, Shanahan revealed that he found out the 49ers were homeless the same way the world did -- via social media. 

After the 49ers' 23-20 win over the Los Angeles Rams, Shanahan explained how the team had been working closely with county officials as well as the NFL to follow the protocols set forth. The team has implemented mask wearing, social distancing, the wearing of trackers, virtual meetings and daily testing. 

On Saturday, Santa Clara County officials announced a temporary ban of all contact sports, professional teams included, for a minimum of three weeks starting Monday. The 49ers will now have to find a new place to practice and hold at least two of their three remaining home games.  

“For us to be heading out here yesterday, and the relationship we have with them, for all of our players, coaches, our wives and everyone on that plane to find that out while we’re getting on a plane and no one to tell us, it was extremely disappointing,” Shanahan said.  

“We understand how serious this virus is. That is why we are committed and we feel we have done it as good as we can. We not only protected ourselves but really protected our community.” 

A 49ers relocation could mean players, coaches and staff spending the entire month of December away from families. The team must hold practices outside of the county and has considered moving its remaining three “home games” to venues out of state. 

Shanahan knows that what the team will face in the weeks to come could turn into a huge distraction. He was extremely appreciative of how his players remained focused on the task at hand -- leaving Los Angeles with a win. 

“That’s all we could talk about for the last 18 hours because we got no answers from [the county],” Shanahan said. “I was very proud of our guys, that I couldn’t give them the answers, and they could put it to the side and come out and play like that. I have so much appreciation for our team and those players, and I’m very proud to be their coach.”

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The 49ers' next game is scheduled for Monday Night against the Buffalo Bills, which gives the team an extra day to work out logistics of a move. Shanahan explained that they don’t technically need to practice until Thursday, giving them more time to finalize their plans.

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