Head Coach Kyle Shanahan

Press Conference – August 2, 2024

San Francisco 49ers

Listen to Audio I Media Center

 

You had a very enthusiastic hug with WR Brandon Aiyuk yesterday and it got national media attention because it signaled something. What did that signal?

“That’s just usually how we greet each other, honestly. You guys would see maybe a lot more hugs in here if we had a film for you guys, but we’re not on Hard Knocks. We saw him on the field. He hadn’t been on the field a lot. We walked by each other and it’s usually how we greet each other. Bro hug, nothing more, nothing less. Thank you.”

 

Can you characterize where things stand with that? Is it still stalemate or any progress?

“Yeah, no updates.”

 

Same with T Trent Williams?

“Same with Trent.”

 

How is OL Aaron Banks doing?

“He had a back spasm the other day. He should be good to go though soon.”

 

You just signed a center, OL Pat Elflein, and all of a sudden he got hurt right away in practice.

“We think he pulled his calf. He did it in individual. I didn’t get to see it or anything, but I was told that. So we think it was a calf.”

 

It looks like RB Cody Schrader is having a heck of a camp. What are you seeing from Cody?

“I think Cody is doing a good job. He’s gotten a number of reps, especially having an injury with [RB] Isaac [Guerendo], taking care of [RB] Christian [McCaffrey] every few days. He has taken advantage of his opportunities. Really liked him coming out of college and he’s getting be better each day.”

 

Assistant head coach/defense Brandon Staley was called a genius by CB Deommodore Lenoir the other day. What have you seen from what his effect has been on the defense? I know it hasn’t been a ton of time.

“Just having him around with everybody. He works with the nickels a lot. He really gets connected with those guys and Demo the most. But just having his expertise with everybody. In the meeting rooms, with coaches talking about just philosophy whether it’s early in the morning or late at night, the way he connects with players out there on the field. He could coach any position. We all know he’s been a head coach. He’s been a coordinator. But anybody who is interested in football, he brings so to the table.”

 

Assuming you saw, any first impressions on the kickoffs last night in the Hall of Fame game?

“I saw a couple. I think there were eight I heard, I probably saw three of them. It looked kind of messy. So I’ll wait to see it on the coaches film to maybe see if we can figure some stuff out, but we’re all trying to learn and that was the first time everyone got to see it. I think I saw three of eight, so it was messy. But I’m sure they will be throughout the preseason. We’ll get as much info as we can on it and adjust as a year goes.”

 

Was WR Jauan Jennings dealing with something?

“He had an ankle a few days ago. He was close today. Hopefully it’ll be good tomorrow.”

 

You’ve emphasized a number of times the leap that players can make from rookie to second year. When they’re going through their exit interviews, do you give a kind of a special emphasis to the outgoing rookies and give that kind of message to them?

“We do. There’s lots. You want them to make that huge leap. Also, the second year sometimes is people’s worst years too, because a lot of people, they finish college, they’re trying so hard to make it in the league, they don’t think about much. They’re just going as hard as they can and then that first season ends and they kind of sit back and relax. They’re like, ‘Alright, I get it now.’ And they don’t realize it, but they don’t go through their offseason the same way they did getting prepared for the NFL and then it’s halfway through training camp and they realize, ‘Oh man, I haven’t made it yet. It’s totally different.’ That’s why a lot of guys you see a sophomore slump too. But it usually goes one way or the other. So, you stress that as much as you can as a head coach, a position coach. And I think the strongest thing too is veteran players who’ve been through it and seen it too.”

 

A couple days ago, it looked like OL Dominick Puni was going with the ones and the threes. I don’t think he was double-repping, I think he was just with the ones. What does that show you about a player that he can do that? Is this a special kind of time to see what he can do early in his career?

“Any time a guy gets opportunities with some guys in front of them getting injured, it’s huge for them. We have to practice and you have a certain number of guys, so it’s always the next man up. You get those opportunities versus the ones defense and everyone gets to see you. There’s going to be some good, some bad, but it’s kind of how you react to it. Do you get better each day from it? And it’s been cool watching him out there because he’s gotten that opportunity, and you can tell it’s not too big for him. He has to work through a lot of stuff. It’s a totally different game and going against a totally different type of defensive lineman, but you can tell he is made of the right stuff and he’s got what it takes and hopefully he’ll continue to progress.”

 

After missing the first block of practices, do you like the trajectory you’re seeing with WR Ricky Pearsall?

“I do. It’s been great to always, it’s tough when you have a hammy and you have to be very smart getting him back. We’ve eased him in, he’s gone through that real well. He’s been real diligent with his rehab and stuff. I know his reps went up a little bit more today, but it was a low day overall and I think tomorrow will be a much bigger challenge. It’s a higher practice. We have one-on-ones tomorrow. But I’ve been real happy with his  progress so far.”

 

I don’t think he caught a pass at practice, but when that’s not happening, obviously you wanna see how these guys are blocking down field.

“Just because the ball gets thrown to them doesn’t mean they did good or bad always. You get zoned 80% of the time out there. I didn’t realize he didn’t catch a pass, but when I get in there, I’m going watch him run at least 16 routes during plays. So you expect everyone to catch it when it comes to you. So that really doesn’t affect me in terms of like what we see from a practice, but it’s been cool watching him in the run game. He definitely understands our standard. It’s not someone we have to call in and be like, we need more. He gets it. He’s doing everything he can and just continuing to get more reps.”

 

Is TE Logan Thomas injured?

“Yeah, hamstring.”

 

QB Brock Purdy, now that you guys are a week into camp, is there anything you’ve seen from him that shows you he’s taken a step in any particular area, either physically or mentally that maybe he’s added?

“No. I think Brock was better his second year than his first year. I think he’ll be better his third year than his second year. So just going through camp, we’ve gotten through our seven day installs. I think today was our first practice without new stuff in and now we start circling back and isolating a little bit more. But Brock takes every day the same and we put him in a bunch of positions and can’t really say enough good things about Brock.”

 

What did you know about CB Isaac Yiadom when you signed him and what have you seen from him since he got here in the offseason?

“We were a big fan of Isaac coming out of college, back at Boston College. Watched him throughout his career in Denver, played against him, watching him in New Orleans last year – him get in that starting role that he played at his highest level. We felt he was playing his best football last year and since we’ve gotten him, I feel even stronger about that. He had a hell of an OTAs, and so far he’s having a hell of a camp.”

 

How do you feel about QB Tanner Mordecai, on the field and in the meetings so far?

“He’s done a good job. He hadn’t gotten too many reps. We gave him, I don’t know if you guys were there that one day or not, we gave him a few reps one day. I expect him to get some more sooner than later.”

 

It got attention when Brock threw seven interceptions in back to back practices. Were any of those, and I realize it’s practice, but do you look at any of those and is he in a situation where he’s trying stuff, he’s trying to maybe fit something in where he wouldn’t in a game or are some of those just bad decisions? A little bit of everything?

“Yeah, all the above. There’s a different story on each play. I know stats are made a big deal in practice and I know that’ll stick out too. We never want a lot of picks in practice,  regardless of who it is. But Brock has never really had an interception problem. He’s protected the ball pretty well in this league for his two years and he also isn’t scared to let it rip too. If we were really trying to fix that and if he had a problem, you come out and that’s all we’re focusing on and he still has some stats like that, then that’s something that concerns you. But that’s something I really haven’t been worried about with Brock on, and that’s why those stats are also something that hasn’t bothered me at all.”

 

I know you guys always try to manage the workload for certain guys. Just given like the amount of football your team has played in the last 3, 4, 5 years, have you had to change anything in terms of trying to manage guys or maybe add more guys with vet days? Anything like that?
“Yeah, I think in the offseason more than anything. I mean right now when you manage guys too much, it’s great to get them into the season but then I actually feel more responsible because you know you haven’t prepared them for the season. The whole goal is to get to the season and be ready to play football and that’s why you do have to push guys in camp. I feel we’ve been one of the healthier teams in the league coming out in these first five games and stuff. I feel that’s because guys go hard in camp. So you got to be real smart with that and get guys prepared. I do think in the offseason though, especially this year, how short it’s been. I think it’s a mental break just as much as anything. You know guys not here as much in Phase One and Phase Two, guys who’ve been around and stuff, that didn’t nearly bother me as much in the past. Guys needed to get away. We know what we put into this. We know how long it goes and not just with your body but the mind I think more than anything.”

Last year you guys led the league out of 11 personnel in yards per carry. You tied with the Ravens. Is it as simple as one team having McCaffrey, one team has Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson. Are you guys evolving well? How would you pinpoint your success last year at all?
“Without me studying that exactly, I think we probably didn’t run the ball quite as much as other people in 11. So you’ve got a little less opportunities and I think we ran it pretty good in all personnels. But we’re not running it as much in 11, especially at the end of the game. You probably don’t get as many one-yard carries, zero-yard carries when you’re just trying to run out the clock. So, I think that could help those stats, but we try to run, be successful in every personnel. We don’t look at it as one’s better than the other. It’s how it affects the defense.”

 

How are you seeing your safeties play out? S Talanoa Hufanga might be ready for Week One. But with S Ji’Ayir Brown out there, I’ve seen a lot of S George Odum sometimes a couple of the other younger guys.

“Yeah, just like the guard situation. When you have your starter out with Huff and everything, it’s giving a lot of guys opportunities and OTAs and now. It was awesome getting GO a ton of reps through OTAs. He’s doing the same thing now. He’s doing a hell of a job at safety. Having all these rookies come in and not have to rotate in there with the starters and stuff. I mean they get thrown into the fire and they’ve all stepped up very well. It hasn’t been too big for anyone yet. And it’ll be interesting to see how that position pans out.”

 

Is Spencer Burford having surgery?

“He’s not having surgery. Still be about the timeline I told you guys he’s not going to have surgery.”

 

Looking at defensive coordinator Nick Sorenson, what’s he going to be like in in a practice as a defensive coordinator. Definitely looks like he’s a big presence. Are you at all watching for that and does it all surprise you of what kind of presence he is in these practices?

“Not really. I don’t really watch presence that much. I just like people to be themselves. The worst thing is someone comes out there and tries to show you guys their presence. That would probably bother me. So I just like how Nick coaches. Not just bother me, that stuff usually bothers players more than anything. They know when people are acting and they know when people are genuine. We all get fired up about football. We all get excited when a guy makes a play, and we all are upset when something goes wrong. And Nick’s a very consistent human, consistent person. He’s very intelligent, very honest with these guys. One of the things I like the most about Nick is he’s always his true self every day.”

 

Brandon Staley is going to be in the booth. Do you think you’re going to be talking with Brandon a lot during games? Is that kind of part of what his role is going to be?

“Not really. Most of the talk is about X’s and O’s and stuff that just happened, which is pertaining to the next play call and getting ready more offensively. You talk to someone too much throughout the game and you can’t make quick decisions. You got to be pretty focused. I think it’s good to have someone who has experience like that to talk to after the game. If there’s something that I would want his expertise on, no doubt I wouldn’t hesitate. But there’s not a lot of just chitchat going on. It’s very personnel driven who’s in the game on defense. Who’s in it on offense. You’re trying to get play calls out, there’s a time, there’s a play clock and it’s mainly dealing with the quarterback.”

 

George Odum has brought so much to your special teams here. Are you reluctant at all to have him be a starting safety because it would reduce his special teams play?

“George is one of the best special teams players in the league, but if he’s the right guy at safety and he gives us the best chance when at safety you never confuse those two. You got to go there first. You don’t want that to fully take away his role in special teams. So when you’re that special of a player, we’re going to try to find a way to put him on both. But it would take away from reps and stuff but you’re out there a lot more at safety. So you’d have to go with what’s more important first.”