On July 14, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was involved in a bad car accident that left him unable to coach the team at the start of training camp.

Shanahan's life was not in danger, but his severe concussion must heal before he can return.


This tells us something about the 49ers. General manager John Lynch related, "[We] don't have a protocol for staff members when it comes to concussions, but we do with players, and it's become very helpful. So, Kyle basically is going to be in the protocol."

This speaks to the values of the organization. The club could have allowed Shanahan to work the first days of camp. Considering how obsessed with football Shanahan is, he might have done so. The league has no rule regarding coaches.

But the Niners have their own unwritten rule: people are more important than just football games. Don't get me wrong. Niner management wants to win. Everyone wants that Lombardi. That's why they will spend months getting contract details as right as they can.

That is also why they gave Brandon Aiyuk the "left team" designation and recouped some of the guaranteed money. If a player is not willing to be part of the Niner culture, the organization then feels less responsibility to him.

(And I believe many can agree that John Lynch and others have done the right thing by not responding to Aiyuk's rather unhinged social media postings.)


When asked about the Shanahan situation, two things came up for many: One, concern and relief over Shanahan's health, and two, the team will be all right because they have veteran leadership.

Here are just a few examples.

John Lynch: "[The] Trent Williams, the Kyle Juszczyks, the Fred Warners, Christian McCaffreys, Brock Purdys. I mean, just, we've got tremendous leadership."

Fred Warner texted Shanahan: "We got this, coach. We've got this. Trust us."

Brock Purdy: "This whole organization and our team, we all got his back."


Numerous news outlets have cited the age of the 49ers roster as a potential problem both in the near term, and especially in the long term. But the Niner culture is different from that on other teams.

New wide receiver Mike Evans said he has "always appreciated how the Niners went about their business," and that tight end George Kittle was "a big reason why I'm here, just because the type of player and teammate that he is." (emphasis mine)

Running back Christian McCaffrey, who was traded to the 49ers: "They've done a great job getting the right people into this locker room, and the leaders have done a great job of setting the standard. . . I was just pumped up to join them."

Tight end George Kittle, who has spent his entire career in San Francisco: "I've been treated with nothing but respect and love my entire career."

Linebacker Dre Greenlaw started his career in San Francisco but spent last year in Denver. Now he's back and commented on how it's not just the players and coaches that matter to him: "It gives you a different perspective on how much the building really means, how much the people inside the building mean to you . . . the passion you play for is not just for the love of the game, but for the love of the building as well."


(If you want a definition of character, read this about Greenlaw.)

Rookie running back Kaelon Black was shocked and humbled by having his locker next to Fred Warner's. What does that say about the sense of connection the team wants to build? A superstar—a superstar not even on the same side of the ball—will be talking with a rookie every day.

Some of these quotes might sound like cliches, but I can give you another bit of evidence. A former colleague of mine's son, Sam Young, played for the 49ers for a brief time. A journeyman offensive lineman, Young had played for numerous franchises, both storied (Dallas, Buffalo, and Miami) and relatively new (Jacksonville).

His mother told me Sam was amazed by the Niner culture. It was unlike anywhere he'd ever been.

People talk about good teams having a Super Bowl "window." They point to players who might be getting past their prime. Or might be gone because of contracts. Or might leave because they want to go to a winning team.


But the Niners seem to be able to get a lot of those contracts done. And the players themselves—McCaffrey and Trent Williams recently—are willing to restructure their contracts so they can stay and/or others don't leave.

Whether the 49ers will win the Super Bowl or not, time will tell.

But it won't be because they don't have the heart and character to do it.

Written By:

Jack Stewart


Jack Stewart was educated at Alabama and Emory and was a Brittain Fellow at Georgia Tech. His poetry has been published widely in the US and several other countries. His book No Reason was published in the Poeima Poetry Series in 2020.
All articles by Jack Stewart


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