Although San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan hasn't been able to take on his full-time duties at the start of training camp, he has remained a visible presence around the facility. As he continues recovering from the injuries he suffered in a July 14 car accident, Shanahan has contributed wherever he can.
The lingering effects of a severe concussion have limited his workload. Still, Shanahan reached an important milestone on Saturday when he addressed the team for the first time since the accident.
Linebacker Fred Warner joined Bay Area radio station KNBR on Monday morning and described what it meant to see his head coach back in front of the team.
"[He] had an opportunity to be in front of the team for the first time a couple of days ago, and speak to us, and got a round of applause from the entire group," Warner shared. "So, it was fun to have him back in there."
Warner went on to explain just how important Shanahan is to the 49ers organization. As San Francisco enters the 2026 season with Super Bowl expectations, the team hopes to have its head coach—and offensive play-caller—back at full strength when the games begin.
"Kyle, he's the greatest of all time, in my opinion," Warner said. "Being with him for nine years now, it is different when you go in that team meeting, and you don't see him up there with the clicker in his hand, going through the tape. But he did go through something super serious. That's something that you can't just brush under the rug.
"He's got to take care of himself. He's got to make sure his mind is right. We need him for when we need him. And that'll take however long it needs to take."
While Shanahan isn't yet back to coaching at full capacity, his involvement has steadily increased throughout training camp. He has been watching practices from afar and spending more time on the field with each passing session. He's also remained active behind the scenes, helping the coaching staff review film after practices.
"It's been amazing to see him out there on the field, just in the back with [GM] John [Lynch]," Warner said. "He's watching everything. He sees everything. Don't think that he's just in a dark room somewhere, just relaxing. He's fully engaged."
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