Shanahan thrilled 49ers veterans answered offseason program challenge

SANTA CLARA — It's a new season at 49ers headquarters and the renewed energy was palpable during San Francisco's first on-field practice of organized team activities (OTAs) open to local media.Coach Kyle Shanahan noticed a difference on the first day of Phase 1 when the entire team reported to Santa Clara for the start of the offseason programIt wasn't because he approached his players to attend, but rather the message he shared at the end of the 49ers' 2024 campaign."The way I addressed it the most, was at our last meeting in January," Shanahan explained. "I just told the guys, I talked about how the season ended the year before, and how when I felt them all come back. I felt guys weren't ready to come back and I understood that."But I told them how I really won't understand it this year, not that that was right or wrong, but I couldn't comprehend it. We're off five weeks earlier, we all know how disappointed we are. And a lot of us have played a lot of football here." The 49ers have played deep into the post season in three of the past four years, shortening their recovery time in preparation for the following year. After a 6-11 showing in 2024 the 49ers were home watching...