San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is navigating an unfamiliar training camp environment as head coach Kyle Shanahan recovers from a July 14 car crash that left him with a concussion, broken ribs, a broken nose, and a broken hand. Shanahan's voice, a constant presence in Purdy's helmet during practices in previous seasons, has been absent as the coach focuses on his recovery.
"He’s our guy," Purdy said of Shanahan. "He’s the one leading all the team meetings and stuff and going over just situational football, what practice is going to look like. He’s our leader. It has been weird in terms of not having that. But I will say I think the assistant coaches have done a good job with stepping up."
Purdy typically has significant interaction with Shanahan, whether in team meetings or on the field where plays are often relayed to the quarterback via walkie-talkie. During Shanahan's absence, offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak has taken on the role of relaying plays, with offensive line coach Chris Foerster leading the team, supported by coordinators Kubiak, Raheem Morris, and Brant Boyer.
Purdy's interactions with Shanahan since the crash have been limited to messages and a brief hug on the field. Shanahan attended the latter part of practice on Monday, observing alongside general manager John Lynch. Purdy admitted to nearly hitting Shanahan with an errant pass during practice, a moment he could joke about later.
"I saw it after and I was like, ‘Damn, I almost hit Kyle,’" Purdy said. "But I was mad we couldn’t complete the throw. ... Heads up coach."
Purdy expressed concern for Shanahan's health upon hearing the news from Shanahan's wife, Mandy. "It hurt really bad just reading that text," Purdy recalled. "First off, is he OK? What’s next? How is he and all that? ... Once he texted me back and stuff, I was, all right, he’s good. It’s a scary moment, because all you care about is life at that moment. Is he alive? Is he good? But after hearing Mandy and then what Kyle had said, I was like, all right, Kyle’s good. This is going to be a little process."
In other practice news, rookie defensive lineman Romello Height was carted off the field with cramps. Several other players are dealing with injuries: swing tackle Vederian Lowe has a high ankle sprain, receiver Christian Kirk has a calf strain, rookie DL Gracen Halton has a bruised knee bone, and DL Andrew Farmer is sidelined with a back issue. Cornerback Nate Hobbs returned to practice after missing the previous session.