Several players were informed of Shanahan's situation before the news became public, including quarterback Brock Purdy. During an appearance on Bay Area radio station KNBR on Monday morning, Purdy shared his reaction.
"He had shot me a text and told me what had happened and whatnot, so obviously, he and I texted back and forth," Purdy said. "And praying for him and everything for his healing and everything. And this whole organization and our team, we all got his back. We love Coach and know he's going to be just fine."
Shanahan was able to observe Sunday's first training camp practice for about 30 minutes. Although he remains away from his normal duties while recovering, his presence on the field was an encouraging sign for the team. Shanahan is recovering from a broken nose, three broken ribs, a broken hand, 40 stitches to his face, and a severe concussion.
Assistant head coach and offensive line coach Chris Foerster is serving as interim head coach during Shanahan's absence. Even so, players appreciated seeing their recovering head coach watching practice alongside general manager John Lynch.
"It's encouraging even seeing him yesterday at practice, out in the back with John Lynch and stuff," Purdy said. "So knowing that he's watching, he's around, and I'm sure we'll all see him soon.
"But it does suck when we heard the news and stuff. We really couldn't believe it. But knowing that he's alive, he's good, and we're all here for him."
Like Lynch and several players have emphasized since the news broke, the 49ers believe they are well-positioned to handle Shanahan's temporary absence because of the strength of the coaching staff and the veteran leadership within the locker room.
"We all have been able to have a system where we just keep going, in terms of we can run practice, we can go throughout meetings, and still be a culture and a team where we keep it going for him," Purdy said. "And obviously, when he gets back, we're going to be even better with him as our leader and everything."
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