Recently, an NFL Players Association observer attended a 49ers OTA practice. Head coach Kyle Shanahan didn’t seem to appreciate the presence of NFLPA player director Dwayne Allen on the practice field, as explained by Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.
Maiocco called it a “unique scene,” as Shanahan “ordered” Allen off the field.
Maiocco added that Shanahan and Allen “exchanged words, bringing practice to a temporary halt,” and that they “later met and cleared the air.”
On Tuesday, Shanahan downplayed the interaction.
“I wasn’t agitated, I was just surprised,” Shanahan told reporters. “You get surprised and that’s all, but we had a good conversation. He had asked me something, I was surprised to see him out there and I actually know him pretty good. He’s a good dude and there’s no issues at all.”
Here’s an explanation of what happened, from Grant and Lowell Cohn. Apparently, Allen entered the field and yelled “you can’t do that” after a defensive player “clotheslined” an offensive player during a non-contact OTA practice. The exchange was described as “catty” and “juvenile,” on both sides. G.M. John Lynch reportedly helped smooth it over.
It would have been interesting if the non-altercation altercation had literally seen push come to shove. Allen is a former NFL tight end, still only 33 years old. Shanahan, while seemingly underfed, also looks scrappy and feisty. Feisty enough to be annoyed by every word in this article, including the headline.