Kyle Shanahan expects to coach in preseason opener

Day-to-day updates may not be necessary here, but this seems like an important first step for the 49ers’ head coach. Shanahan was only an observer today. He arrived after the period where reporters are allowed to record videos and take photos, sporting a soft cast on his left hand and wearing sunglasses. The Athletic’s Matt Barrows said Shanahan’s facial swelling seems to have subsided, which is nice to hear. He stood with general manager John Lynch, watching team drills and departed early, before practice ended. Assistant head coach and OL coach Chris Foerster is serving as the team’s acting head coach for now. Shanahan is expected to be ready to coach in Week 1 against the Rams. Hopefully, a smooth recovery allows him to resume coaching soon.

Shanahan was seriously injured in a car accident on July 14th that resulted in multiple broken bones and required more than 40 stitches in his face. It was already reported that he will be limited during training camp, but Lynch seems fairly optimistic Shanahan will be ready for the team’s regular-season opener in Australia, set for September 10th. Lynch said Shanahan has to “meet certain markers” in his recovery in order to be cleared but added “I think the expectation is that long before that he’ll be better.” We’ll likely get more updates on Shanahan in the days/weeks ahead.

Shanahan will participate in team activities on a limited basis at the start of training camp as he recovers, according to a statement released by the team. Assistant Head Coach Chris Foerster and coordinators will handle head coach responsibilities during this period. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Shanahan broke his nose, three ribs, his hand, needed more than 40 stiches in his face and suffered a severe concussion following the collision with an SUV near Shanahan’s home on July 14. He was taken to the hospital by paramedics and spent most of the day there before he was released. According to Schefter, Shanahan is believed to be healing well. The 46-year-old head coach has guided the 49ers to at least 12 wins in three of the last four seasons.

It’s the responsible move after the 49ers down year. The 49ers have been consistently messaging that nothing will happen, of course, but to get it straight from the owner’s mouth is notable. Shanahan has a career 70-61 record with the 49ers and has appeared in two Super Bowls while winning the division three times. The 49ers suffered an unfortunate run of bad injury luck this year and, with a fourth-place schedule, will probably be a good bet to rebound in 2025.

The move was announced as a multi-year extension, though no concrete details have been leaked yet. Keeping Shanahan under contract is a no-brainer for the 49ers. Three games into his seventh season as the boss in San Francisco, Shanahan is 55-46 with 22 of his losses coming in his first two seasons. He has mounted successful seasons with a rotating cast of quarterbacks at his disposal and is widely thought of as one of the greatest offensive minds the league has ever seen. General manager John Lynch was also extended, keeping the band together for years to come.

Maiocco lists three primary reasons that hint at the possibility of a more aggressive unit in 2023 including a full offseason with running back Christian McCaffrey, the team’s trust in quarterback Brock Purdy, and the offseason departure of veteran kicker Robbie Gould. Considering San Francisco converted just seven of 17 fourth-and-short attempts in 2022, due in part to the accuracy of Gould, the bold hypothesis could come to fruition with the team moving forward with a rookie place kicker. The other two reasonings provided would also theoretically support a more aggressive offensive unit, but the history of head coach Kyle Shanahan suggests short yardage decisions are more based on game environment than on a desire to optimize every offensive possession. Using that reasoning, it is much more likely to require a dip in defensive performance to ignite a more aggressive offense, something that may or may not change in the new season after the 49ers ranked first in defensive DVOA and points allowed per drive in 2022.

Shanahan, who had his power over personnel decisions stripped in Cleveland, asked for his release from the team and was granted it. He knows he’ll have teams beating down the door to interview him about both head coaching and offensive coordinator positions. The massive quarterback hole in Buffalo is a concern, but they do have plenty of talent everywhere else.

Maiocco added that general manager John Lynch said that the team did not pressure players into getting the vaccine. Instead, Lynch said the team chose to “educate them as much as possible” and communicate effectively. With a slew of players hitting the reserve/COVID-19 list to open training camp, teams with higher vaccination rates may experience smoother training camps with a higher portion of their players available to practice.

The league is obviously trying to maximize TV ratings until the very moment Roger Goodell announces the No. 3 pick. While that likely gives Niners fans a sickening feeling, preserving the suspense will only make this draft that much more exciting/frustrating/tear-jerking at day’s end. Mac Jones (-286) remains the favorite for San Francisco’s selection at PointsBet, followed by Trey Lance (+240), Justin Fields (+500), and Kyle Pitts (+2500).

“We felt like we had a team that can compete,” Lynch said. “We went to ownership, said ‘hey things are looking good, we want to make this (trade), but we don’t want to say goodbye to Jimmy.’” Per Lynch, 49ers ownership signed off on keeping both a rookie and the 29-year-old veteran under contract for 2021. It confirms what was already known: the Niners will be adding someone under center at No. 3, and Garoppolo is in fact part of the team’s plans ... for now. (Coach Kyle Shanahan added that the team wouldn’t “rule out a trade” if they’re “absolutely blown away.”) Both Lynch and Shanahan are scheduled to be in attendance for Mac Jones’, Trey Lance’s, and Justin Fields’ (rescheduled) pro days.