The San Francisco 49ers received jarring news over the weekend when the team disclosed that head coach Kyle Shanahan was involved in a severe two-car collision near his California home. While initial injury reports listed broken ribs, a broken nose, a broken left hand, 40 facial stitches, and a severe concussion, new details from close friend Chris Simms reveal just how close the accident came to being an utter catastrophe.
Speaking on Pro Football Talk, Simms—a longtime close personal friend of Shanahan—shared horrific details regarding the aftermath of the crash. According to Simms, pictures sent by Shanahan’s wife, Mandy, shortly after the incident painted a harrowing picture.
“He was this close to maybe losing his right eye,” Simms revealed during the broadcast. “The scar is so big right here… when you first see it and it’s fresh and some of the cuts are still wide open, it’s jarring.”
Simms noted that while Shanahan’s facial cuts are beginning to heal, the head coach is still dealing with lingering effects from a severe concussion that knocked him unconscious during the impact. Beyond his physical recovery, the emotional toll on the Shanahan family has been significant as the coach processes how close the crash was to becoming a total tragedy right before the start of training camp.
According to the timeline shared by the network, the accident occurred on July 14, though details were held tightly by the franchise until a coordinated release on July 25. Despite the heated divisional rivalry on the field, the NFL community as a whole is breathing a collective sigh of relief that Shanahan survived the frightening ordeal and is on the mend.
Shanahan is expected to return to the team at some point this offseason. But for now, offensive line coach Chris Foerster has assumed head coach duties until Shanahan is ready to come back full-time.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Report: Kyle Shanahan almost lost his right eye in scary car crash
Reporting by Oliver G., Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Oliver G., Niners Wire | USA TODAY Network
