Head Coach Kyle Shanahan Press Conference
Head Coach Kyle Shanahan
Press Conference – November 4, 2026
San Francisco 49ers
Opening comments:
“Injuries for practice today. [RB Christian] McCaffrey, hamstring, won’t practice. [WR] Deebo [Samuel Sr.], hamstring, won’t practice. [WR] Mike Evans, Achilles, won’t practice. [DB] Siran Neal, knee-foot, won’t practice. [LB Garret] Wallow, hamstring, limited. [DL Nick] Bosa, calf, limited. [S Marques] Sigle, ankle, limited. [LB Luke] Gifford, groin, limited. [CB Upton] Stout, shoulder, limited. [WR Demarcus] Robinson, ankle, limited. [CB Nate] Hobbs, adductor, limited. Go ahead.”
You’re opening the window for Hobbs and Robinson both?
“Yes.”
Has WR Brandon Aiyuk informed the team that he is reporting to headquarters?
“I believe they talked to his agent.”
Do you expect him here and what’s your response to that?
“None. I have no expectation. Kind of moved on with that mentally and everything. Doing kind of how I talked to you guys two months ago. Nothing’s really changed for me.”
Would you expect a resolution before he would potentially show up here then?
“I wouldn’t think so. I think he’d have to show up for stuff to happen.”
Is there a path where you guys could ask the League for a roster exemption where you revisit with him or consider your options before the trade deadline?
“Those are no questions I’ve asked, so I don’t know. But, I have zero questions about him.”
About a year ago, I asked you if you thought maybe you were one player away from maybe doing a lot, and you said no very clearly. Obviously, you make the trade for DL DeForest Buckner. Did you think that at that time and maybe are you still in that aggressive mode where we can add because this season could be special?
“Yeah, I definitely think we’re a better team than we were last year at the time you asked me that. I never really think you’re one player away, but I definitely think, I don’t remember our record at the time, but we ended up finishing with a real good record. But, I do know our team’s better than it was last year. It was awesome to add Buckner, really awesome, and it’d be great to add someone else if that works out, but we’re not counting on it, but it’d still be great. We’ve still got time.”
Do you think adding a player like Buckner or anyone else changes the mood of the locker room or adds to a momentum feel to a team?
“Yeah, I think just like it does to you guys or just like to fans. Everyone gets excited when you add a player. When we’re on break, I get tons of texts from guys on the team just, ‘Man, Buck’s back, that’s awesome.’ So, everyone talks the same and then you get to work and you get used to it. I think everyone gets that initial burst and then it’s how good the players are, adding someone like Buck, and what it adds to the field and the meetings and everything like that, then that’s where the momentum becomes real.”
Working under the assumption the report about Minnesota Vikings WR Jauan Jennings trade not working out is accurate, were you surprised that he, based on that, didn’t want to come back here?
“Not really. The report was accurate, just not totally exactly detailed up. I mean, you can’t talk to other players on other teams. You’re not allowed to. We love Jauan. We have such a good relationship with Jauan and know him really well and we didn’t want to do it without talking to him first. So, we had to agree on some things to at least make it close enough to be able to talk to him. Then when we got on a FaceTime with J.J., it went well. It was awesome. We talked about a lot of stuff, and he ended up saying that he was happy with where he was. It wasn’t just like a definite no first, but he was like, ‘Man, Kyle, I’m pretty happy here and liking stuff.’ And when I heard the way he talked and where we’re at, I agreed with him. So, it was a good conversation and something that was possible, but that’s why it didn’t go down.”
So the part where he declined to get on a FaceTime call, that was not accurate?
“I didn’t read the whole report, so, yeah, no we FaceTimed. We talked for a while.”
Based on what you’re saying, you didn’t feel like there was any bad blood between you?
“No, it wasn’t at all like that. It was actually, it was J.J. FaceTiming me. He just got back to Tennessee and was with his family and kids. It was a good talk, but he’s with good people, he likes where he’s at and I thought it made sense what he said and I agreed with him.”
With that said, is it safe to assume that you guys are looking to add a receiver at the deadline or was it more so just the familiarity with Jauan, him already knowing the system?
“No, we’ve actually, I mean, that’s what personnel people do since Week One, but they look every week to see who you can add week-in and week-out. It gets bigger as the trade deadline comes, but J.J. was someone we knew, so someone we wanted to talk to if we went through with that and they were willing to do it at the time. We wanted to have a conversation with him knowing the guy. Receivers is something we still are looking into and so is every other position.”
With receiver, some positions at the deadline, you can just maybe throw them in a little more easily. With a receiver, you’ve got former NFL WR Emmanuel Sanders, a vet who knew his stuff. Does it narrow the field a little bit when you’re talking about possibly trading for a wide receiver of a guy who maybe could fit in and pick up the offense quickly?
“Yeah, big time. It’s hard at any position. It’s really hard at receiver. I don’t know if it’s the hardest, but it’s up there. Emmanuel was a special case. It’s not just him being a vet, but it’s also the type of guy he was, how natural he was at football. Things came really easy to Emmanuel, but it’s different for all types of guys and that’s why there’s got to be the right guy.”
As far as Evans, has he been able to, president of football operations and general manager John Lynch said, gotten that tendon to calm down over time? Have you guys made progress in that?
“Yeah, I think we’ve made a lot of progress. I think he’s going in the right direction. It’s something we’ve definitely got to be smart with, but we’re not going to like overly do it. We just want to wait until he’s healthy and he’s still working his way to get there.”
What are your thought on WR De’Zhaun Stribling? I know he’s probably out until December, but what are you guys hoping to get from him when he returns?
“I haven’t thought about it yet. It’s a long ways away. I’m hoping he can return first of all, which is the expectation. I mean, I’d be surprised if he didn’t. As he gets closer to running and kind of have an idea how he’ll, usually once he’s a week away, I start asking how he’s going to be in practice next week. If it’s kind of a buildup week or if he’s in a spot where he’s ready to go and we’ve got to get him a couple of days to get ready to play. I’m still probably over a month away from that.”
We know Buckner’s always been a classic three-technique. Pretty sure DL Osa Odighizuwa’s a three-technique. Is the defense set up where you can play two three-techniques or is one of them going to have to play some nose tackle kind of thing?
“Almost everything is now just how many times people move the tight ends and stuff. You’ve got to kick fronts all the time and things like that, so it’s even between three and just shades or three and two I’s, and now you do it to five techniques and five guys on the line. You start in a spot, but you have to be interchangeable. I see it as you’ve got two inside guys.”
For Deebo Samuel, is it the same thing? How much progress is he making with his hamstring?
“He’s making progress. He can’t go today, so I’d be surprised if he can go this week, but he’s making good progress.”
How about Christian? How’d the week off help him?
“I think he had a good week. His wasn’t as bad as Deebo’s. I mean, he’s not going today, but hopefully he can hopefully have a chance to be limited tomorrow.”
Has Bosa made progress with his calf?
“Yeah, he’s made progress. That’s why he’s going to be limited today.”
DL C.J. West going into the Bye was a potential return. After the Bye, what’s his update?
“We’re not getting him out there for practice, so we’ll probably hold him for another week, see where he is next week.”
Do you feel that Demarcus Robinson is close to getting back?
“I do. He was out there in walk-through and we’ll see him in full action, just like Nick, just like Hobbs, just like Sigle. But, all those guys will be out there for the first time today.”
I think you basically answered this without saying so directly, but listening to Sports Talk Radio, can you just clarify, is there any conceivable way Brandon Aiyuk ever plays again for the team?
“I can’t clarify that. So, no, if I know what clarify means, or Sports Talk Radio. Do you want me to clarify what you’re hearing?”
Is there a chance that Brandon Aiyuk can play for you?
“Hey, there’s no absolutes in life, so.”
There are other teams, the Chiefs, the Seahawks, the Rams, that need help at wide receiver. Is it a concern? Has it been discussed that you might end up facing him at another point this season?
“No.”
Your two most successful months, by month I should say, are November and December post-Bye. Why is that? Is there a key to being successful after the Bye Week?
“I’m a Sagittarius, so I just have better luck in December I guess. I don’t know. I think we’ve had good teams and I think Bye weeks, teams come back a little bit more rested. It gives you a little bit better, you’re a little healthier. Doesn’t mean you solve all problems, but usually after Bye weeks you get a little bit of a boost. I bet teams records on short weeks aren’t always as good. I think we’ve had a good team majority of the years and Bye weeks always help.”