San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was "this close" to losing his right eye in a car crash on July 14, according to his friend Chris Simms. Simms, a former NFL quarterback and NBC Sports analyst, revealed the severity of the accident on Monday's "PFT Live."
Simms described the injuries Shanahan sustained, including a concussion, broken hand, broken nose, and fractured ribs. Shanahan also required approximately 40 stitches to close a facial wound. "When you first see it, and it’s fresh, and some of the cuts are still wide open, I mean, it’s jarring," Simms said, noting the coach "was this close to maybe losing his right eye."
The accident occurred near Shanahan's Palo Alto, California, home shortly after 6 p.m. Shanahan's vehicle collided with another driven by a woman. Simms stated that Shanahan was emotional about the incident and concerned about the other driver's well-being.
Shanahan has been recovering and is reportedly still experiencing issues related to his concussion. He appeared at a 49ers practice on Sunday wearing a baseball cap, sunglasses, and a mustache to obscure his face. General manager John Lynch indicated that Shanahan's coaching involvement would be limited by his recovery.
Assistant head coach Chris Foerster has been serving as the interim head coach while Shanahan is sidelined. The team has not provided further details on Shanahan's long-term prognosis beyond Simms's account of the accident's near-fatal outcome for his eye. The severity of the facial wound was described by Simms as "horrific," leaving a significant scar.