Photo courtesy of the San Francisco 49ers
Trent Taylor’s return has ‘been huge’ for 49ers, but Kyle Shanahan struggles to find balance in workload
Aug 21, 2020 at 7:15 AM
•
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
Trent Taylor was having a strong offseason last year. That's why it was a divesting blow when he suffered a Jones fracture during training camp. Then multiple infections and subsequent additional surgeries ended his season.
Taylor was already practicing angry before the injury. That's because he was coming off a season hampered by discomfort following back surgery. Taylor looks focused this offseason, as he seeks to make up for missed opportunities.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan is excited to have Taylor back and loves what he's seen from his fourth-year receiver.
"That's been huge," Shanahan said Thursday on KNBR. "Trent, I think it's been pretty well-documented how good of a camp he had last year, and that was such a huge blow for us when he got that injury. And getting the number of surgeries he had to get with the infections he was fighting, I know how long of a road back it's been for him."
Shanahan struggled with the workload he puts his players through, especially during a training camp that had no offseason practices preceding it. The coach is trying to find the right balance between preparing his team for an unprecedented and perhaps unpredictable season and just keeping them healthy.
The injury bug, after all, as it seemingly does every year,
has already struck.
"He's looked, throughout this whole camp, exactly where he left off before he got hurt," Shanahan said of Taylor. "We want to get him back into football shape, have him do all this stuff, but that's kind of why camp is so miserable for me right now because I'm either constantly upset that we're not getting enough work and then we need to prepare more, or I'm upset that I'm having the guys work and giving them chances to get hurt. So it's a very uncomfortable time for me right now.
"I'm trying to get the guys better, but then I'm telling them to go hard, then I'm pulling them back every second. Trent's one of the guys that he looks good, and we want to keep him working. But within about a week or so, I'm going to have to really just focus on getting them to Week 1."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Shanahan below.
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
Should the 49ers be worried about Christian McCaffrey's workload?
It's not an exaggeration to say that RB Christian McCaffrey is coming off one of the best individual seasons in the history of the San Francisco 49ers.
In his first full year in red and gold, McCaffrey led the NFL in rushing yards (1,459), total yards (2,023) and total touchdowns (21) on his way to becoming Offensive Player of the Year. His yards on the ground were the fourth most ever for a Niners running back and his 21 touchdowns trailed only WR Jerry Rice's team record of 23, which the Hall of Famer accomplished in just 12 games in 1987. McCaffrey was also prolific in the passing game, hauling in 67 receptions and often providing a safety net for QB Brock Purdy.
Because McCaffrey has meant so much to Kyle Shanahan's scheme, it's easy to see why the offense
49ers sign WR Trent Taylor, reuniting with former draft pick
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
Former NFL exec on 49ers' Brock Purdy: "I think he needs to find more fire"
Brock Purdy isn't one to seek the spotlight. He exudes politeness, respect, and an even-keeled demeanor when speaking to reporters during interviews. Nothing we've seen from the San Francisco 49ers quarterback's time off the field would indicate that it's a facade.
However, on the field, Purdy can show some fire, particularly after a big play or in an effort to ensure his teammates are on the same page as him. While praising the third-year quarterback, one unnamed former NFL executive expressed a desire to see more of that fire from Purdy in the future, believing it is crucial to his development.
"Brock Purdy is one of the most talented arms that I've seen," the former executive recently
Brock Purdy hopes Kyle Shanahan makes addition to 49ers playbook
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw for a franchise-record 4,280 yards last season, leading the team to the Super Bowl and earning his first Pro Bowl selection. He held onto the football 39 times on the ground, rushing for 144 yards and scoring twice. This marked a significant improvement over his rookie 2022 campaign when he had 22 carries for 13 yards and a score.
Purdy further displayed his athleticism during the 49ers' playoff game against the Detroit Lions last season, helping engineer a comeback victory while rushing for 48 yards on five carries.
On Tuesday morning, Purdy joined the "Pat McAfee Show," acknowledging that he believes he can contribute more rushing yards if called upon. However, that decision rests with head coach Kyle Shanahan,
