By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-07-28 20:56:04 | Updated at 2026-07-28 22:36:39
1 hour ago
Kyle Shanahan has admitted to reporters that he was to blame for the car crash that has left the San Francisco 49ers head coach with multiple injuries.
Shanahan spoke to a small group of 49ers beat writers in his office at the team's facility on Tuesday about the crash that took place in northern California on July 14.
The 46-year-old collided with an SUV near his home in Palo Alto and broke his nose, three ribs, his hand, required more than 40 stitches in his face and suffered a severe concussion.
He was taken to a local hospital by paramedics but was released the same day. ESPN reported that the other driver was not injured and drugs and alcohol were not involved.
Shanahan, who is married to and shares three children - son Carter and daughters Stella and Lexi - with wife Mandy told reporters that his cell phone slid off his lap and fell between the seats while he was driving. He retrieved it but, as he came back up, his vehicle had veered into the other lane and struck an oncoming SUV.
A clerical error in the local law enforcement's database had attributed the crash to the female driver of the SUV, prompting Shanahan to clear it up.
Kyle Shanahan has admitted to reporters that he was to blame for his car crash last week
Shanahan added he was driving at 20mph and, at impact, his airbag deployed and broke his nose. He also revealed he remembered the crash clearly and never lost consciousness.
The California Post obtained a short clip of the dispatch audio from the crash and one officer can be heard saying to the first responders that one driver is 'bleeding from the head.'
On Monday's episode of Pro Football Talk Live, NFL insider Chris Simms revealed he had seen pictures of Shanahan's grisly injuries and he was lucky to still have his eyesight.
'I get a text from Kyle's wife, Mandy. She texts myself and my wife, and it's like, "Oh no, Kyle's been a part of some horrible accident",' Simms said.
'And she sent us some pictures right off the bat, and it was like, "Oh my gosh." So just to let you know, paint the picture, you've seen the injury report, the broken ribs, 40 stitches in the face, the broken nose, broken left hand. Of course, the bad concussion.
'But when you first see it, and it's fresh, and some of the cuts are still wide open, I mean, it's jarring. It's jarring.
'He was this close to maybe losing his right eye, right? The scar is so big right here. And so all that stuff was just crazy to see. And, of course, I was thinking of my friend, but yeah, it's tough. And he's still battling with this concussion. . . . He's healing.
'His face looks a whole lot better, but this concussion, of course, being a part of that kind of accident is lingering and it's giving him issues, and he's certainly still dealing with that.'
The San Francisco 49ers head coach pictured with wife Mandy before this year's Super Bowl
Shanahan and Mandy share three children together, son Carter and daughters Stella and Lexi
As a result of his injuries, Shanahan will be limited in what he can do during 49ers training camp although he was pictured watching practice on Sunday in a major sign he's on the road to recovery.
His longtime ally Chris Foerster, who serves as assistant head coach, has taken on a bigger role in training camp with help from new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.
The 49ers' general manager, John Lynch, told reporters on Saturday that he expects Shanahan to be healthy enough to coach the team in their opening game against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne on September 10.
'The timeline kind of takes care of itself. He's got to meet certain markers,' Lynch told reporters on Saturday. 'But I think the expectation is that long before that he'll be better.'
Shanahan, the son of legendary NFL head coach and two-time Super Bowl winner Mike Shanahan, has been in charge of the 49ers since 2017.
He was poached after his Falcons offense led the league in points scored and helped the team reach the Super Bowl in 2016, when Atlanta infamously let a 28–3 lead slip to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
The 49ers are once again considered among the contenders to win the NFC and reach the Super Bowl this season with a star-studded roster that includes Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Nick Bosa and Brock Purdy.
