Head Coach Kyle Shanahan Press Conference

Head Coach Kyle Shanahan

Press Conference – July 30, 2023

San Francisco 49ers

Was that about as good a day for the passing game as you’ve had here?

“I mean there were some more open guys today. They had a couple of busted coverages and so there were some big ones you guys saw with that and they blitzed a little bit more, so when they blitzed people are open, but those balls, there’s a lot of sacks there too. So, it was similar to the other three days. I’m very excited to get pads on tomorrow.”

You’ve said before that WR Brandon Aiyuk is obsessed with football. What is he doing that shows you that he is? What extra work is he putting in?

“I mean just the way he was all offseason. Just how much he, I mean just randomly calling, talking about football, how much he’s working out, how prepared he was when we started in phase one and two. You can just tell he is excited. The questions he asked, he’s just, he’s really into it.”

What have you learned about QB Sam Darnold through these opening practices?

“I mean pretty much everything we knew throughout OTAs. He is a very talented guy. Everyone has really liked working with him. I think the team’s loved him. He’s doing some good things out there and getting more and more comfortable each day.”

In your first four practices, QB Brandon Allen has 37 snaps, a fair amount for a number four quarterback. You’ve got Darnold learning a new system and you and general manager John Lynch have said a lot that QB Trey Lance needs as many snaps as he as he can get because he hasn’t played a lot of football. So why are so many snaps going to your number four quarterback?

“Two of the days he’s the number three quarterback.”

Right, well I think just overall you’d agree 37 snaps is a decent amount for a number four?

“Yeah. I mean do you think that is?”

Yeah, based on your previous training camps.

“Yeah, well he earned him in OTAs. He did a good job in OTAs and like today he was the third quarterback, so he got all the three reps, two of these four practices, which is a good amount. The other guys have been splitting the one and twos. It’ll bump down though when we have four out there more.”

Are you considering, I mean is there a scenario where you keep four quarterbacks?

“Yeah, I have no idea. I mean there’s always types of scenarios but I’m just excited to get pads on tomorrow and start playing a little bit more football. So, it’s about 30 days away so we’ll see how it unfolds.”

Would you have put the pads on today?

“No, I’m not allowed to until, you got to get four practices in before we do it.”

Where was T Trent Williams today?

“Vet day.”

CB Charvarius Ward? Is he doing pretty well?

“No, his abductor is a little tight or his groin is a little tight so we’re just being smart with him.”

What’s the feedback you’ve gotten from linebackers coach Johnny Holland on your two draft picks at linebacker, LB Jalen Graham and LB Dee Winters?

“He’s excited about them. I mean they’ve been running around out there a bunch. You know, being able to get some OTA reps and things like that was great for them. These four practices have been similar to OTAs not having pads on and you get to learn a little bit more about the linebackers and a lot of guys on our team once we put the shoulder pads on tomorrow.”

There’s a lot of players running around out there, but have you noticed DL Spencer Waege and what he’s been able to get done?

“Yeah, I mean he’s just starting and going but it’s so early for everybody that we’re not quite there yet. We haven’t met as a staff to even go over personnel or anything. We’re in day four of our installation and I really don’t try to get too many opinions at all, high or low. Especially because we don’t have the pads on. So, when we get those tomorrow he’ll have a better chance to stick out more and more. But it’s still early.”

What did RB Ty Davis-Price need to do to improve after his rookie year and have you seen steps?

“Yeah, I think he’s already done it. I mean I think he’s taken a huge jump since last year. I mean just the conditioning that he put in in phase one and two, what he did these 40 days away. Just how good he was the first day we saw him in terms of his stamina, how he’s running, understanding the offense, and what we want out of him more. I thought he had a great OTAs and he’s come back and he’s even having a better training camp.”

Was he swimming a little bit in this system last year?

“Yeah, I mean lots of guys are when they get in. Just a different style, what we ask out of our guys and it took him a little bit of time and he was going to get an opportunity though early especially when [RB] Elijah [Mitchell] got hurt, but he got that high ankle sprain in Week Two and then was out a month and just fell behind.”

I think last year you guys signed WR Deebo Samuel the night before you went to pads. Is there any hope or any update on DL Nick Bosa potentially?

“I haven’t heard anything so no updates there.”

When QB Brock Purdy goes two on, one off, does the off date just not count in that formula?

“Well no. He’s supposed to take two days off, so that’s why it’s perfect for him. He gets the off day and then he gets the one off today and now he’ll throw two days in a row.”

So does he go two on, two off?

“For a certain amount of days then he flips one. I think we do that like six days from now. It’s a thought-out plan. I don’t have to memorize it because it’s all on paper. But yeah, it is two off because he gets the off day and he never starts the low day.”

How valuable is it to have your father here taking a look at practice and having another set of eyes that you trust?

“I always love having my dad around. It’s good to see him and spend time with him. I love that. My son’s here, my nephew, so it’s good that he can hang around them a little bit. And he loves watching football. So it’s nice to talk to him a little bit at the end of the night instead of getting a bunch of texts. It’s a little easier and it’s nice to be able to have a beer with him at the end of the night too.”

Do you plan to give RB Christian McCaffrey the day off the same day you give QB Brock Purdy the day off too?

“No.”

During the off-season Defensive Coordinator Steve Wilks and some of the defensive players talked about there were opportunities or would be opportunities maybe to be more aggressive and blitz more defensively than in the past. How involved do you get in that as far as trying to find that right balance or direct Steve and the defensive staff in the right direction of how much is just right and how much is too much?

“Well, that’s stuff we talk about all the time and we all have philosophies and stuff and Steve knows mine. I have a pretty good idea of his. Those are the things you discuss throughout interviews and things like that, how we see the defense going forward. And there’s some days we try certain things. There are some things we want to just look at stuff and how it goes, but we’re always communicating with that stuff.”

What were your early impressions of Brock in practice?

“I think he’s done great. He has come back. He’s had no arm troubles. He’s been totally healthy. I think he’s getting all his timing back, his rhythm. I was really impressed with him in his two practices.”

DL Arik Armstead was telling us the other day that you thought Defensive Line Coach Kris Kocurek had mellowed a little bit. Do you think so?

“Yeah, I’d say so, not to be confused with being mellow. But I think he’s mellowed a little bit. Maybe it’s because it’s hotter out there. He is going to pass out if he keeps going like this all the time. But we mess with him enough, his players know how he is and he’s always going. So don’t get that confused with being mellow.”

DL Drake Jackson covering running backs 20 yards down the field not a staple of the defense, but I mean is that an example of his athleticism?

“That just happens every time that an inside linebacker blitzes and you’re in scat protection, the back goes, a D-end has to peel so that’s just all of football, whoever that is. [DL] Kerry Hyder [Jr.] got caught in it a couple days ago and he did it on Christian and did an awesome job on him. So that’s just an unfortunate situation when defenses call those blitzes, they’re praying that’s not the offensive play call. And sometimes it happens but that’s never something that people want to happen, but something you have to deal with it if the plays match up.”

Was part of Brock’s ability to come back quicker all of the preparation he does off the field?

“Yeah, Brock’s just so detailed and committed in everything he does, so he didn’t miss one day. Every rep that he takes to get better in his health, he is just deliberate in everything he does. How committed he was to doing that, to being here, to going down to Florida, to being in Arizona. If he was going to have a setback and something went wrong was the only way we felt he wasn’t going to be ahead of schedule by what he does.”