Head Coach Kyle Shanahan Press Conference

Head Coach Kyle Shanahan

Press Conference – July 26, 2023

San Francisco 49ers

Is K Jake Moody okay since he wasn’t kicking at practice today?

“Yeah, he’s fine. Just with our three-day practices we have one go the first day, one go the third day, and they both go the second day. So we did it that way with today being the least reps day.”

How did the breakdown of splitting reps between QB Trey Lance, QB Sam Darnold, and QB Brandon Allen today go?

“We just rotated the ones each period, so they just switched off each period who went with them and the next guy took the twos.”

Does you envision having four quarterbacks at practice once QB Brock Purdy is a full go?

“Yep.”

Is the reason you plan to have four quarterbacks at practice is because you think Brandon Allen is talented enough to stay?

“Yeah, I mean we wanted three in OTAs. We had two for the first parts, we went and added a three, and we really like him so far. We don’t want to just get rid of guys we like.”

Did it feel like guys were knocking a lot of rust off at practice today or was it better than before?

“I didn’t think it was bad. I thought it was a good first day. We go real light today with the reps and just how long we’re out there. So it’s a pretty easy practice. My biggest thing is guys just not being too eager because everyone’s so gung-ho and you don’t have the pads on yet. So just trying our tails off to keep everyone off the ground and I think we did that pretty good for the most part.”

How did DL Drake Jackson and DL Clelin Ferrell look today?

“They look good but the way these springs have been the last couple years, we don’t really do much with the O-line and D-line, so I don’t really stack them that way. If they’re new guys who haven’t been at that spot recently, as in the last few years, I go into training camp with a very open mind. So they all did a good job improving and stuff and getting in shape and OTAs and now we’ll see where they’re at out here over the next few days. Nothing really counts till we get the pads on and start doing a little more football.”

How efficient and comfortable does Trey seem running the offense?

“Great. It’s his third year of calling the plays, third year getting in and out of the huddle, so for all of them it’s always easier. But he is doing awesome at that.”

Does you keep RB Christian McCaffrey out of team to dial him back during training camp?

“Yeah, we have a few plans with some guys. I know we don’t want him to go three days in a row here to start, so that was the decision today.”

Do you enjoy the wide receivers posting their competition between one another on social media?

“I don’t mind. That’s usually what people do in sports and it makes it a little bit more fun and those guys are tight and competitive and just as long as they’re doing their jobs out there. I would do the same thing just as long as it doesn’t take away from them getting better at stuff.”

S Talanoa Hufanga broke up a deep pass to WR Danny Gray. What are you seeing out of Hufanga this year?

“That was a hell of a play because I thought Danny beat the corner on it. I’m curious to see the film, how he got over there so fast because I was told that we looked him off pretty good but he got there fast so that was an impressive play. And I’m curious to see how it all unfolded.”

Does it look like WR Danny Gray put in some work during the offseason?

“I can tell he is in shape, but I can’t decide. I mean that’s what you can tell on one day is whether they’re in shape or not. But we’ll see how he handles this whole camp. I thought he had pretty good OTAs, took a step forward and came back in good shape and we’ll see as he gets more reps and more opportunities and stuff, how much better he’s gotten.”

Did you want to see DT Javon Kinlaw drop more weight?

“Yeah, Kinlaw’s been unbelievable. Just in the fact that, I mean, you guys see how he looks, and he’s just gone a full year with no setbacks. And so to get through OTAs with that and then our 40 days away, it continued. And as that happens he just keeps looking better and better and everyone knows the specimen that he is, so now hopefully that can continue through training camp so he can really tie that to football. And if he can do that and stay healthy, with the way he’s worked and the way his talent is and his mindset, I feel it’s a matter of time for him.”

Does you want to give Kinlaw more reps during training camp since he hasn’t been on the field very much?

“I mean theoretically, yeah, just because I mean if that guy just keeps playing football, he’s going to get really good. But we don’t go extra because the more you go extra with someone, the higher chance of him getting hurt and that has been what’s held him back. So we’re trying to be as smart with him as possible, but for the first time in a couple years he’s been healthy enough to get himself in a position to where he can be treated like everyone else, just getting normal reps and everything. And if he is able to do that, I think things will work out very well for him.”

What is your post-practice routine?

“Right now the coaches are waiting for me so I sprint straight to here, while talking to [VP of Football Communications] Corry [Rush] on the way to give a heads up on any weird things you guys might ask me because my mind definitely isn’t into it. So I have that. I talk to you guys. I’ll sprint back and they’ll all be in there waiting for me. So they’ll be done with their lunch. I’ll try to eat it while I run the meeting with the offense, which means I’ll only get half of it in. Then when that’s done, I go right to the quarterback meetings. And when that’s done, we go out to walkthrough. When that’s done, we come in watch walkthrough, then eat dinner. And then I think about watching the individuals and stuff, which sometimes I get to, sometimes I don’t.”

And that same feeling you have for Kinlaw, do you have it for DL Drake Jackson and how he’s come back into camp?

“Exact same. Drake wasn’t as much of the injury stuff that Kinlaw had, but Drake just as you guys know from the end of last year, just his rookie year and stuff had to get in much better shape and stuff to make it through the whole year. And he stayed here right when the season ended. That’s why he had a great OTAs. A lot of guys put in so much work and then the 40 days away they’re like, all right, let me go take a break before we come back and he didn’t, he stayed here the 40 days away, kept doing everything he had done since February and he’s still continuing to climb, so we’re excited about him.”

WR Brandon Aiyuk had a great catch, I believe it was on that third down. What have you seen from him as far as his just development and improvement coming into this year?

“Just how much more he matures just as a player each year. I mean every year he’s gotten better. Brandon came in with a lot of talent. He only had two years in college just coming off from junior college and stuff, so he was a little raw in a couple of things, especially going through that COVID year where we really just met him on day one of training camp, and then he got hurt. So, he’s always been trying to catch back and each year he is done so much better. And last year I thought was the best year that he’s had and you usually know how they react to that based off the offseason and he’s been obsessed this offseason with football. You can tell he enjoys talking about it, he enjoys preparing for it and he’s truly become a pro. And the results I think will keep showing.”

What do you expect to see from your quarterbacks on day one and what did you see from them?

“I don’t expect a lot. I expect them to show us that they haven’t gotten worse while they were gone. Which, you know, they all get pretty good in OTAs and what we’re expecting and what we do today is really exactly what they did on OTA one. So, I expect them to come out and be clean in all their footwork, clean with where to go with the ball, and just show that they’ve been working their 40 days away and all our guys had, they had a good first day, but reps weren’t high, and it was pretty basic stuff and just keep taking it one day at a time.”

You’ve had second-year receivers like former WR Kendrick Bourne and WR Jauan Jennings take big jumps, but they were on less crowded rosters from a pass-catching standpoint probably than WR Danny Gray. So, have you talked to him about what production look like for him? What does impact look like for him?

“Yeah, just finding a role for yourself. I mean the roles, I know what we ideally would like him to do. Anytime you’re the fastest guy on the team and stuff, you are a guy who can make defenses defend all three levels. And if you can isolate on those routes very well and run those consistently and when they don’t honor it, we throw it to you and you catch it. That’s a hell of a role and if he can own that he’s got the advantage with that because of his 40 time. So that’s a big one for him. But we also have other guys who can run too. You also don’t just put guys out there to do only one thing so you just have to develop in everything. But that’s kind of what he was born to do. But he’s got skill sets to where he can be out there in everything, but he’s got to get more consistent so eventually he can dominate the role that he’s the most talented at.”

Do you get butterflies driving in the facility? You have a new season, you know you have a chance, you guys have been so close the last couple of years. What’s your mood and feeling as you get ready for this new season?

“I mean I’m so used to getting ready for seasons that usually when I’m coming in at times like this, I’ve really gotten away for 40 days. That’s why we come back a little bit early so we can kind of as coaches get the cobwebs out and stuff and I do on my 40 days away what I don’t want the players to do. So, coming back in here it’s more just getting into it, like getting back into the coaches, getting to talk to everybody, getting everyone sharp again. I get excited for the season usually in March and April like as you start to look at your roster and you try to think of what holes you need to add in free agency and then you think of what holes you have to add in the draft. That’s when you start getting excited when you see alright, man, we do have a good team, there’s these possibilities, how can we fix this? And that’s what pumps me the whole time. And then you get to work with them in OTAs and then I try to black out for 40 days because I know what’s ahead of us for seven months and we’re getting into that and I’ll get in better shape and get better at talking as I go and coaching and I know our whole team will do that too.”