"Yeah, I mean, we're not there yet. I think that's obvious," Shanahan said Friday on a conference call. "We've got some new guys and some young guys. And also, not having [Mike] McGlinchey in there, and his little setback has hurt. I'm hoping to get him back. Not having Dan Brunskill in there, who has been a starter for us the last two years, has also been rough.
"But what I'm excited about, all these young guys, who are getting these opportunities and playing, they all have the ability to be very good in this league. It's tough in an O-line situation where, especially this year, you don't do one thing from practicing football from an O-line standpoint in OTAs. You really just start in training camp."
Offensive linemen just go through the motions during OTAs and minicamp. They don't get to block in game-type scenarios until training camp. That started only a month ago.
"So it's been about three weeks to a month of football for those guys," Shanahan continued. "I really do believe in the ability that they have and where they can go, but the season is now just [16] days away, and I do believe that the more they play, the better they'll get because they're made of the right stuff, and they have the ability to do it. But it does take time in this league, and we've got a couple of guys doing that, right now, are showing up a lot, but they'll get there."
Shanahan was specifically asked about second-year guard Aaron Banks. The coach didn't feel any struggles were entirely Banks' fault.
"I thought he had a better game this week than versus Minnesota," Shanahan responded. "I know there's definitely a couple that he missed, but I also thought it was the full offense there. There's a couple I thought we could have gotten rid of the ball a lot sooner. There's a couple that the quarterback didn't have a chance on.
"As a whole, it wasn't good enough. When you ask [about] him in particular, I thought he did improve from the week before."
Pro Bowl tackle Trent Williams sat out Thursday's game. McGlinchey and Brunskill are working their way back from injuries. Shanahan hopes the return of those players will result in a much-improved unit in front of second-year quarterback Trey Lance.
The coach added, "Hopefully, we can have some good news with Brunskill and McGlinchey, so we get some guys back who have done it before, and they can give us a little more help in [these] areas."
Related News
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan admits car accident was his fault, corrects initial report
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan met with reporters on Tuesday in his office, marking his first media availability since the July 14 car accident that left him with several injuries. Initial reports indicated that the other driver—a 21-year-old woman behind the... -
49ers concerned about Ricky Pearsall injury, but young receivers could benefit
The San Francisco 49ers are facing another setback at wide receiver, as Ricky Pearsall continues to deal with lingering effects from the PCL injury that limited him last season. Pearsall is experiencing swelling in his knee and is expected to miss time. Multiple reports... -
49ers' Nick Bosa believes he can be even better after latest surgery
San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa is already considered one of the NFL's premier pass rushers, but the All-Pro believes he can reach another level in 2026 despite returning from an ACL injury that limited him to just three games last season. Bosa is confident the... -
Christian Kirk injury gives 49ers' young receivers greater opportunity to make their mark in training camp
The San Francisco 49ers entered the 2026 offseason with a very different look at wide receiver. The additions of veteran players Mike Evans and Christian Kirk gave the team two experienced weapons to pair with Ricky Pearsall, while also creating a much more crowded competition...