Head Coach Kyle Shanahan Press Conference

Head Coach Kyle Shanahan

Press Conference – September 24, 2021

San Francisco 49ers

Opening comments:

“[DL Kevin] Givens is out. [RB JaMycal] Hasty is out. [RB] Elijah Mitchell will be doubtful. [DL Arik] Armstead, questionable. [CB Emmanuel] Moseley, questionable. [DT Javon] Kinlaw, questionable. And [RB] Trey Sermon cleared protocols, so he’s good.”

Is Sermon out of the concussion protocol?

“Yes.”

How has Sermon looked in practice? What are you seeing out of him?

“With the rules of protocol, you can’t do everything. But he’s been great all week. Just what he has been able to do in individual, getting to do everything today. But you’re never fully sure of it until they clear it, but he’s been great all week.”

How did the other backs, particularly the guy you signed from Cincinnati, RB Jacques Patrick do this week?

“He did a good job. There was a lot thrown at him in three practices. You try to absorb as much as you can and he’ll be ready to go if need be.”

In a scenario like that, what’s running backs coach Robert Turner Jr.’s work like? How much around the clock stuff is he having to do with each of these guys?

“You’ve got to do a lot of stuff. You can’t take everything in, so you just try to compartmentalize things and put it into certain groups and try to teach them a few groups of stuff. You also can’t go around the clock as much as you need to because there’s a lot of work too that you have to recover and see from. But Bobby’s as good as anyone there is at it. I know whatever we ask of those guys, they’ll be prepared to do it.”

As a scheme connoisseur, what do you like about Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur’s scheme? I’m sure it looks pretty familiar.

“That he works to his talent right. He does good things for a very good quarterback, a very good receiver and a very good running back.”

In 50 years, if you were describing Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers to your grandkids, what would you say about him?

“The best thrower I’ve ever seen. Or tied, but probably the best.”

If I was your grandkid I would say, ‘Could you give me a little more. Like I’ve never seen him.’ What made him so great?

“I think technology will still be working then. I’m not a very good describer unless I have tape to go with it. I’ll definitely turn on the tape. I’ll show your kids if you want me to.”

When you had to put in RB Trenton Cannon for one play, obviously there were all the injuries, but could you explain? Did you have to say, ‘sorry, Trent you’re running this play?’ How did that work?

“No, you don’t have to say sorry. Those guys are fired up. If you have to say sorry, you’ve probably got the wrong guy who seems upset to get in the game. He was fired up and ready to go. And they usually tell you they’re good with everything, but that’s a little more ambitious than the truth always. So, I usually ask Bobby what he’s able to do. And Bobby usually tells me and I don’t talk to the person that much. I don’t sit there and try to freak them out. You don’t have any other option, he’s going in. And then I usually communicate to [QB] Jimmy [Garoppolo] through the microphone and say, ‘Hey, this is what we’re doing. Talk to him and make sure he says what Bobby tells me and he knows what to do.’ And he did. So, we’re excited about him. He’s done a hell of a job here in this last week.”

He’s obviously more ready this week?

“Yes. Each day you’re here you get more ready, but we were really preparing him hard that week to help on special teams. That’s why we decided to go with four running backs. We weren’t preparing him as hard, at least through reps and stuff, to play running back. But that’s why those guys will tell you, Bobby never leaves them alone. Bobby is preparing for everything, regardless of what we’re thinking.”

Who would you expect to be your number three or actually your two and three running back on Sunday?

“Is that a trick question? (laughing) Well, one of our guys is doubtful, so I’m still holding out that he can get up. And so that will change who our three is. If he was up, it would have been Hasty, but he’s down. So, it’ll be one of the other choices that are left.”

I don’t know if this is something that you’re willing to say right now, here, but are you going to bring up a practice squad guy?

“That’s most likely a possibility. If we dress three, if we dress four and if Elijah can’t go, but I haven’t decided anything because I’m really holding out hope that Elijah can go.”

With RB Chris Thompson and his history with you, does that give him a little bit more of an edge?

“Not totally. Our history with Chris is that we drafted him, but we drafted him coming off a torn ACL knowing he was going to have a redshirt year. So, we’ve never played with him. He played for [Former Washington Football Team head coach] Jay [Gruden] as soon as we left. There are some similarities with that, but it’s a pretty different offense, especially eight years later.”

And just one follow up, RB Kerryon Johnson, how has he done since he’s been here?
“He’s done a real good job and he’s a week ahead of Jacques which helps him. But he’s done a good job. He’s taken advantage of his opportunities.”

It’s pretty rare that a guy is listed as doubtful and then plays on Sunday. What needs to happen for Elijah to be ready to play?

“He needs to feel like he can. And I think in a situation where you’re down a number of guys and the other guys are brand new guys. That’s why when it comes to the wire and it’s like that and if [RB] Raheem [Mostert] was here and obviously Hasty was still there, you would definitely just wait a week. But when you’re deciding on guys who are just trying to catch up and learn it this week, you’re a little more patient with that. So, if he feels like he can go and the doctors say that he can’t hurt himself any worse, then that’s why we would do it.”

Is that the case? Is it pain management or can he do more damage to the shoulder by playing?

“You can always do more damage and get hurt, but if it was something of a risk of what’s already happened before then the doctors wouldn’t clear him to go.”

Jacques, he’s a very big running back. Was that the first time you saw him in person, were you taken back by how big he was or did you see it on film?

“You saw it on film, but he looks a little bigger in person. Maybe it was 35 compared to 31. Five’s a blockier number. One’s a leaner number. But yeah, he looked pretty big in person.”

Can I ask about the situation at cornerback? How does that whole situation shake out if Moseley can go, if Moseley can’t go?

“Same as the running backs. In terms of, I’m not sure of it exactly because one is questionable. So, I’ve still got to figure out if he’s going. If he doesn’t, I think it’ll be the same starting lineup as last week.”

Do you guys go through, more than 90 minutes before game time to see how they feel physically on that particular day before making that up or down call?

“You do if you have to. I really try not to. I think it’s really sucks for a player to have to get up early, go get ready to show fully that you’re ready to play four hours before a game. And then you calm down a little bit, then you have to get it back up again. So, you try to avoid that. Sometimes it’s a necessity, you have to do it. But that’s something we try to avoid.”

There was a report this week going back to the draft, relating to the Aaron Rodgers trade discussions. Do you feel like there was any tension between you and Matt LaFleur regarding those discussions?

“No, I don’t. I definitely heard about people talking about our friendship, but I’ve got a lot of friends in this league, coaches, players, equipment managers, everybody. I have been in this league for 20 years and you do have lots of friends, but I can promise you that friends never affect how you do your job. We all have jobs to do and you all have relationships, but you always do your job and try not to think about anything else.”