The San Francisco 49ers were hit with scary news on Saturday, Jul. 25, when the team announced that head coach Kyle Shanahan was injured in a car accident. The crash happened on Jul. 14, but was not announced until 11 days later.
Shanahan suffered a broken nose, three ribs, and a hand. He needed 40 stitches in his face and suffered a severe concussion, Schefter reported on Jul. 25.
The 49ers head coach was spotted throughout training camp. But assistant head coach and offensive line coach Chris Foerster assumed some of the head coaching responsibilities while Shanahan recovered from his injuries.
Shanahan shared his status to reporters on Saturday ahead of the 49ers’ preseason opener.
Getty49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Kyle Shanahan Expects to Coach 49ers’ Preseason Opener
The team received significant news on Sunday when Shanahan told reporters that he plans to coach next week’s preseason opener.
“49ers HC Kyle Shanahan, who has been limited during training camp due to the concussion he suffered in a car accident on July 14, told reporters that he plans to coach next week’s preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
San Francisco is scheduled to face the Titans on Thursday, Aug. 13, in their preseason opener. The game will be played at Levi’s Stadium. They will then go on the road to play the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday, Aug. 20, and the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday, Aug. 27.
Their regular season opener will be against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday, Sep. 10, in Melbourne, Australia.
GettyINGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 02: Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers calls a timeout during overtime against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on October 02, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Kyle Shanahan Provides Further Details on His Car Accident
The 49ers head coach pulled reporters into his office earlier in training camp to clear the air about his car crash.
He told reporters that the Jul. 14 crash was his fault, contrary to the police report. Shanahan also said he took his eyes off the road briefly to find his phone, which fell between the seats, and when he looked up, he had gone over the line and into an SUV.
Shanahan said he took his eyes off the road briefly to find his phone which fell between seats and when he
Shanahan held his first press conference on Saturday, Aug. 8. He provided further details on the crash and how his recovery is going.
Regarding his injury recovery: “Kyle Shanahan says that he no longer is sensitive to noise. He still has some headaches and fatigue after suffering a concussion in the car accident, but he plans to coach in the 49ers’ preseason opener against Tennessee on Thursday,” David Lombardi of the San Francisco Standard reported.
Regarding the car crash: “Shanahan said his Tesla was on autopilot when he crashed last month. He’s not sure what happened — whether he accidentally turned it off or it malfunctioned. ‘I don’t know yet,’ he said,” Matt Barrows of the Athletic reported.
49ers’ Kyle Shanahan Issues Major Update Ahead of Preseason Opener