San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan jumped on a conference call with reporters on Monday, the day after the team's 31-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Alongside several injury updates, the coach discussed other pertinent topics during the nearly 10-minute conversation.
Time for a QB change?
Shanahan was unexpectedly asked if the team would contemplate a quarterback change during the bye week. The coach, clearly surprised by the question, promptly replied, "No."
When pressed for an explanation, after a slight pause, Shanahan simply stated, "Because no one just changes our quarterback for no reason."
It was a notably unusual question during the conference call, and Shanahan didn't bother providing any further information than that, which shouldn't come as a surprise.
Trade deadline looms
With Tuesday's trade deadline looming, there have been multiple reports of the 49ers working the phones recently. Shanahan was asked if the team might pull off a deal to bolster the roster after losing three consecutive games.
"I know John's (general manager John Lynch) been working on that for the last month," Shanahan said. "He's talking with everyone, as every team does right now. If we think there is a chance to improve us, we'll do it. It doesn't sound like there's a lot of options out there, but that doesn't mean, for sure, no.
"So I know we'll look [into] that all the way up to the deadline and see if anything changes."
Steve Wilks to the field?
In light of the defense's recent struggles, there's speculation about whether defensive coordinator Steve Wilks might benefit from relocating from the coaching box to the sidelines.
"That's something we'll discuss this week, just the two of us," Shanahan shared. "I mean, if he felt it would help him, that's something we'll try, but we haven't done that yet."
Wilks, speaking to 49ers team reporter Lindsey Pallares before the season, shared the reasoning behind his preference for working from the coaching box.
"I try to remove myself from that element during the game so I can get ahead with my call," Wilks said. "So being in the box, which I've been on the field and in the box before, I just feel more calm and relaxed up there."