SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Coach Kyle Shanahan walked onto the practice field and stood next to general manager John Lynch, watching his San Francisco 49ers practice for about 30 minutes.Shanahan’s presence that has been a constant the past decade was a welcome sight on Sunday for the first training camp practice, coming less than two weeks after he got into a car crash that left him with a concussion and other injuries. “I know he can’t stay away,” star linebacker Fred Warner said. “I know he’s given up his duties for a little bit, but that guy’s obsessed with ball. I’m sure of course he’s going to be around.”While Shanahan made a cameo appearance at practice on Sunday, the Niners began preparations for the 2026 season without their leader in charge. Shanahan has ceded responsibility over the team to assistant head coach/offensive line coach Chris Foerster temporarily as he recovers from the crash he got into on July 14 in nearby Palo Alto.
Shanahan suffered a concussion, broken ribs, a broken nose and broken hand in the crash and won’t be back running the team until the concussion symptoms subside. Shanahan had a cast on his left hand, sunglasses to cover up his black eye and a new mustache that prompted Warner to complement him on his “disguise” as he watched practice. Shanahan interacted with a few players, including Warner, Kyle Juszczyk, Christian McCaffrey and Dre Greenlaw before leaving the field.
