---
title: "49ers coach Kyle Shanahan limited at camp after a car crash, ahead of a Rams opener"
description: "San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is being eased back into work as training camp opens, recovering from a July 14 car crash near his Northern California home that left him with a severe concussion, broken ribs, a broken nose and hand, and more than 40 facial stitches. GM John Lynch says the concussion is what is limiting him, and expects him back before the Sept. 10 opener against the Los Angeles Rams."
category: "Sports"
category_url: https://herald.la/category/sports
author: "Elias Rosen"
published: 2026-07-26T01:57:00.000Z
updated: 2026-07-26T01:57:00.000Z
canonical: https://herald.la/article/49ers-coach-kyle-shanahan-limited-at-camp-after-a-car-crash-ahead-of-a-rams-open
tags: ["49ers", "kyle-shanahan", "nfl", "rams", "training-camp"]
---
# 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan limited at camp after a car crash, ahead of a Rams opener

San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is being eased back into work as training camp opens, recovering from a July 14 car crash near his Northern California home that left him with a severe concussion, broken ribs, a broken nose and hand, and more than 40 facial stitches. GM John Lynch says the concussion is what is limiting him, and expects him back before the Sept. 10 opener against the Los Angeles Rams.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is opening training camp on the sidelines of his own operation, recovering from a car crash serious enough that his return is being measured in medical clearances rather than practice reps, [ESPN reports](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49446662/49ers-shanahan-limited-camp-car-accident).

## The crash

Shanahan collided with an SUV near his Northern California home on July 14, during the team's summer break. The injuries were significant: a severe concussion, three broken ribs, a broken nose, a broken hand, and more than 40 stitches to his face. That is a jarring list for a head coach whose job, week to week, is built on long meetings, film study and calling plays under pressure.

## Why the concussion is the issue

Of all those injuries, the one keeping him from a normal camp is the one that does not show up in stitches. "It's the concussion," general manager John Lynch said. "And like I said, we'll continue to evaluate him, phase him back."

That is the careful, and correct, way to handle a head injury. Shanahan will be around the facility and may appear on the practice field, but he will not run meetings at his usual level until his concussion symptoms clear. Broken ribs and a broken hand heal on a schedule; a brain injury does not, and the league's own protocols exist precisely to keep teams from rushing that timeline for a valuable person.

## Who runs the team meanwhile

The 49ers are not improvising leadership. Assistant head coach Chris Foerster is absorbing head-coaching duties, with coordinators Raheem Morris, Klay Kubiak and Brant Boyer taking on larger roles as the team begins camp. It is the kind of contingency depth a well-run staff is supposed to have, tested here in an unwelcome way.

## The Los Angeles angle

For Angelenos the relevant date is Sept. 10, when San Francisco opens the season against the Los Angeles Rams, a game set to be played in Melbourne, Australia. Lynch indicated he expects Shanahan back before that opener, though he tied the timeline to medical clearance and the resolution of symptoms rather than to a fixed return date. A concussion recovery does not always cooperate with a calendar, so the sensible reading is that the 49ers hope to have their coach for the Rams but will not gamble his health to guarantee it.

The Herald will follow whether Shanahan is cleared in time to lead the NFC West rivalry game that opens the Rams' season, and how much of camp he is able to run before then.

## Sources

- [49ers' Shanahan limited at camp after car accident](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49446662/49ers-shanahan-limited-camp-car-accident)