San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan will be more hands off than usual during training camp as he continues to recover from a significant car crash over the summer. The team is officially calling their coach “limited” after he suffered a broken nose, hand, and 3 ribs during a July 14th car crash. The head coach also reportedly suffered a severe concussion and required 40 stitches in his head.
According to police reports, Shanahan collided with an SUV near his California home, and was transported to a local hospital by paramedics. Drugs and alcohol were not a factor with either driver in the accident per the Palo Alto police department.
“San Francisco 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan was involved in a car accident last week where he suffered non-life-threatening injuries,” the team said in a public statement. “Coach Shanahan will participate in team activities on a limited basis at the start of training camp while he recovers. Coach Shanahan and the 49ers organization would like to sincerely thank all first responders involved for their efforts and care. Assistant Head Coach Chris Foerster along with team coordinators will handle head coach responsibilities during this period.”
While the veteran coach is reportedly on the mend, he won’t be in good enough shape to be on site for Sunday’s opening day of training camp. Per sources, he is believed to still be dealing with lingering concussion like symptoms. As such, team doctors have yet to clear him for a return to normal meetings and sideline duties.
In the interim, 49ers assistant head coach/offensive line coach Chris Foerster will assume the defacto role of head coach for the time being.
The team will open their season on September 10th in Melbourne, Australia against the Los Angeles Rams.
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