San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke to reporters for the first time since his July 14 car accident. In addition to sharing updates on his recovery, Shanahan provided his perspective on the 49ers roster as the team prepares for the 2026 season.
"I like our team," Shanahan said. "I feel like we came into this camp better on paper than we did last year, just with a number of rookies we were dependent on last year that got to play more, and I love the guys that we've added this year.
"By no means do I—I'll see how we are come Week 1. We've still got a lot of work to do. Some days we take a step forward, then the next day we take two steps back, but that's training camp.
"And a number of the guys that we really want to push to work with, those guys aren't always out there. So, just fighting through those things."
Kyle Shanahan addresses the 49ers wide receiver situation
Third-year wide receiver Ricky Pearsall will undergo season-ending surgery to repair lingering damage from last season's PCL injury. It's a major setback for both the player and the 49ers, who were hoping for a breakout 2026 campaign from Pearsall.
The 49ers revamped their receiving corps this offseason, adding Mike Evans and Christian Kirk in free agency and drafting De'Zhaun Stribling. More recently, the team brought back Deebo Samuel.
Still, Pearsall's loss is a major blow, as the young wide receiver figured prominently into the 49ers' plans for the season.
"Losing Ricky was a real big deal," Shanahan said. "We've had a number of injuries in camp, but that's really the only one that's actually been not just a camp injury. And losing a player like Ricky is a huge deal. It ties to everybody, so you'd hope for Stribling, you hope for Mike, you hope for that whole group—a lot of people have to step up.
"But no one here is wired exactly how Ricky is. They're all a little bit different. So you do lose a big part of what we were planning on, and that's where guys do have to step up.
"That's what gets frustrating when guys like Stribling tweak a muscle and stuff, because, yeah, you want guys to step up, but you've got to train them to do it, they've got to work to do it, and they've got to be out there to be able to do it at an NFL level, which is coming real fast.
Kyle Shanahan addresses 49ers training camp injuries
A lot has been said about the 49ers' growing list of training camp injuries. Injuries have been a significant concern in recent years. However, Shanahan didn't sound overly concerned, noting that only a few appear to be long-term concerns.
"It feels pretty normal, give or take three," Shanahan said. "I think it does happen a number of times in camp. We also have a number of guys coming into camp that didn't go on PUP (the physically unable to perform list) that we weren't trying to throw back in there right away.
"And that stuff's always frustrating in camp. That's why you sometimes want it a little bit longer. But the thing that frustrates you the most is when you lose a guy. And there's one guy like that right now, which we've had to grieve for a little bit, and then you've got to figure out how to adjust and move on from it."
No concern about Nick Bosa's setback
Defensive end Nick Bosa has missed three practices due to soreness. Shanahan addressed the setback, saying there is no reason for concern.
"He was doing great, and then he got sore just going through some of the individuals," Shanahan said. "I mean, you wish that didn't happen, but no, there's no concern to where something's happened that is a big setback or anything.
"But we're waiting until the soreness goes away and evaluating why the soreness has happened, but I still feel pretty good about that."
Comments