Following new guidelines banning contact sports due to COVID-19, the San Francisco 49ers will be moving their home field just a few hours away to Arizona Cardinals’ State Farm Stadium.
Santa Clara County, home of the 49ers and Levi’s Stadium, issued the new ban last week for the start of Monday. The new quarantine will last at least three weeks.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan wasn’t too happy with the county officials and having to relocate, particularly because it was so last minute. The team wasn’t notified until Saturday when the team was on its way to face the Rams in Los Angeles.
Santa Clara Rips Kyle Shanahan’s Comments
Following his comments, Dr. Jeff Smith, a Santa Clara County executive, scoffed at Shanahan and the 49ers believing the state had this properly “planned” for months.
“We have been in contact with the 49ers for months on a regular basis, including discussions about their recent outbreak,” Smith said via the Mercury News. “The 49ers clearly have been aware of the rising case rates here and around the country, the fact that hospitals are filling, and the challenges they and other teams have had in controlling transmission between players, staff, and families.
“… It is hard for me to believe that the 49ers were surprised by the new orders given how serious the situation is both locally and across the country.”
Smith went on to attack Shanahan’s lack of leadership.
“If leaders want to protect their teams and communities, they should not play anywhere until it is safe. One might envision a reemergence of team-building if the teams spent their time building a COVID relief fund for the community rather than trying to put the community at more risk.”
Kyle Shanahan Reacts to Smith’s Criticism
Shanahan didn’t want to react to what Jeff Smith had to say at first, but he went on a rant anyway.
“I have no reaction to that,” Shanahan said via 49ers Webzone. “I’m not (interested in reacting to) someone who questions our values who doesn’t know us. It shows what we’re dealing with. That (Smith’s comments) doesn’t matter.”
Shanahan said he understands the player’s safety is most important, he just would have liked prior communication, that’s all.
Shanahan does understand the county’s perspective, though, and knows that the goal is to keep people as safe as possible. The coach just would have appreciated a little more notice.
“I just like communication, that’s all, and how people treat each other, most human beings,” Shanahan said. “That’s what we were most disappointed with, and we’ve got to deal with the situation just like a lot of people are dealing with stuff. Not just the Niners, all over football — I know we’re the only ones who’ve had to move — but all over the country.
“So, everyone’s got to deal with stuff. You don’t want to sit here and be woe is me. There’s a way to do it, and that’s what we were bothered with. You adjust, you deal with what you’ve got to deal with, and you move on.”
The 49ers have started their own small “bubble” in Glendale. However, the players are not allowed to hang around each other outside of practice. Meetings are held virtually and the staff is doing everything in their power to avoid outside contact.
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Kyle Shanahan Reacts to County Official’s Attack on 49ers