Shanahan Plans to Coach Preseason Opener After Crash
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- Kyle Shanahan told reporters Saturday that he has been at or near full strength and intends to coach the 49ers' preseason opener Thursday against the Tennessee Titans, his first full media session since the July 14 collision.
- The July 14 crash on Alma Street in Palo Alto left Shanahan with a concussion, three broken ribs and a broken left hand; he said he dropped his phone under his seat and collided with a 21-year-old female driver.
- Shanahan said he was using the autopilot feature in his Tesla Model S at the time and is unsure whether it malfunctioned or whether he knocked it off while reaching for his phone; he called the crash 'always your fault' regardless.
- Assistant head coach Chris Foerster and coordinators Klay Kubiak (offense), Raheem Morris (defense) and Brant Boyer (special teams) absorbed larger roles during Shanahan's recovery.
- Shanahan's concussion symptoms have slowed but not fully resolved — he still deals with headaches and fatigue, and described the recovery as non-linear, with a team meeting about a week ago briefly making him feel 'out of the woods' before symptoms returned.
- The experience has reshaped how Shanahan thinks about head injuries for his players: 'I've been told so much by these guys don't compare sports concussion to an accident like this. I'm starting to realize that now.'
Why it matters: Shanahan's return to the sideline removes the uncertainty that hung over the 49ers' coaching staff throughout the preseason. His candid account of the crash — including the open question of whether Tesla's autopilot was engaged or disengaged — adds a notable data point to the broader national conversation about driver-assistance technology and driver responsibility, the very debate Tesla is already navigating with regulators.
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