A Chicago television station, WGN-TV, has faced public scrutiny after erroneously using a doctored photograph of Senator Mitch McConnell and his wife Elaine Chao to illustrate a story about San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan's hospitalization.
The station aired the altered image, showing McConnell and Chao in a hospital setting, as it reported on Shanahan's recovery from a severe car crash. The fabricated photo suggested Shanahan was in the hospital, but it was, in fact, an edited version of a real photograph of McConnell.
Senator McConnell, 84, was hospitalized in mid-June after a fall and a "mild case of pneumonia." He has not made public appearances since his admission, fueling speculation about his health.
Shanahan, 46, recently detailed the circumstances of his car accident on July 14 in northern California. He admitted he was momentarily distracted by his phone, which had fallen between his car seats, leading him to veer off the road and collide with an SUV. The crash resulted in a broken nose, three fractured ribs, a fractured hand, extensive facial lacerations requiring over 40 stitches, and a severe concussion.
Shanahan clarified that he was at fault for the collision, correcting a clerical error in the initial law enforcement report that had attributed blame to the other driver. "I hit her. I don't know why it was reported that way [on the collision report database]. The police report doesn't say that," Shanahan stated. He expressed relief that the other driver was not seriously injured and that he did not lose an eye.
Despite his injuries, Shanahan has been observing 49ers training camp practices. He has reported experiencing significant fatigue but noted improvements in his condition. Assistant head coach Chris Foerster and new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris have taken on expanded roles during training camp to support Shanahan.
General Manager John Lynch indicated that Shanahan is expected to be healthy enough to coach the team's season opener against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne on September 10. "The timeline kind of takes care of itself. He's got to meet certain markers," Lynch told reporters. "But I think the expectation is that long before that he'll be better."
Shanahan, the son of NFL coach Mike Shanahan, has led the 49ers since 2017. He joined the team after his tenure as offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons, whose offense led the league in scoring and reached Super Bowl LI in 2016 before a historic comeback loss to the New England Patriots. The 49ers are currently considered contenders in the NFC.