San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has taken a more hands-off approach to the start of training camp as he recovers from injuries sustained in a recent car accident. While none of the injuries were life-threatening, Shanahan suffered a broken nose, three broken ribs, a broken hand, and a severe concussion.
He also required 40 stitches to his face.
NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms, a longtime friend of the 49ers coach, learned about the accident well before the team publicly disclosed it on Saturday, July 25—11 days after the crash.
Simms revealed that Shanahan's wife, Mandy, texted him photos of the coach following the accident. The images underscored just how close Shanahan came to suffering even more devastating injuries.
"When you first see it, and it's fresh, and some of the cuts are still wide open, it's jarring," Simms said during a conversation with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (h/t to @Coach_Yac for the video).
Chris Simms talks about the injuries suffered by Kyle Shanahan in the car accident:
"All of a sudden one day I get a text from Kyle's wife and it's like 'Oh no, Kyle has been in some horrible accident' and she sent us some pictures right off the bat and it was like 'Oh my gosh'.… pic.twitter.com/3TWpbVZr73
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) July 27, 2026
According to Simms, Shanahan narrowly avoided permanent damage.
"He was this close to maybe losing his right eye," Simms said. "The scar is so big right here. And so, all that stuff was just crazy to see. And of course, I'm thinking of my friend, but yeah, it's tough, and he's still battling with this concussion."
Despite the severity of the injuries, Simms said Shanahan is making progress.
"He's healing," Simms said. "His face looks a whole lot better, but this concussion, of course, being a part of that kind of accident, is lingering, and it's giving him issues, and he's certainly still dealing with that."
It's unclear when Shanahan will be able to resume his full coaching responsibilities, as concussion recoveries can be unpredictable. However, the 49ers remain optimistic that he'll be ready for the start of the regular season, when San Francisco opens against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia.
Shanahan has attended the first two training camp practices but only in a limited capacity. He observed approximately 30 minutes of Sunday's practice and about 45 minutes of Monday's session alongside general manager John Lynch.
"Obviously, just want him to heal up, and glad he's okay, and that's first and foremost," quarterback Brock Purdy said after Monday's practice. "So, I'm sure he'll get right, and we'll get into football and everything. But we just want him to be good."
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