Kyle Shanahan is battling a concussion that has him struggling with basic daily tasks, closing his eyes when speaking to avoid “too much stimulus,” and finding practice music “killing” him. This isn’t just some minor knock; the 49ers head coach is dealing with regular headaches, fatigue, and even indecisiveness over lunch choices, which he says can feel as complex as planning their regular-season opener in Melbourne, Australia.
Shanahan’s Fight to Get Back in the Game
The recovery from this concussion sounds absolutely brutal. Shanahan’s doctors have told him he needs to push through the pain, but only to a point, using a numerical scale from 1 to 6 to judge his headache intensity. He described how the old idea of just resting in a dark room is out the window. Now, if his pain is a 2, they want him to do something to push it to a 4, then stop, let it drop, and build that “muscle.” It sounds like a torturous rehab. He even watched all the film on a Monday and never hit a 4, which he called “really exciting” because his headache wasn’t as bad. Still, fatigue hit him hard once he got home, triggering a headache.
For now, offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak is holding the walkie-talkie that goes to Brock Purdy’s helmet, with Shanahan watching training camp like a “personnel guy.” The team is encouraged by his progress, but they know it won’t be a straight line back to 100%. He’s contributing where he can, his body is healing, but the concussion is definitely “lingering a bit.” We’re all hoping he’s back in full swing soon, because that kind of brain injury is no joke.
McCaffrey’s Wild New Strategy to Stay Elite
Meanwhile, Christian McCaffrey is out here taking his training to an entirely different level, turning to Conor McGregor’s former trainer, Portal, to keep his edge beyond 30. This isn’t your typical strength and conditioning coach; Portal isn’t even really a “football trainer.” McCaffrey apparently loved that different approach, looking for a “new layer” to his training and recovery. He couldn’t even put it into words, saying it was “a heck of an experience” and calling Portal “a brilliant mind when it comes to movement, the body, the mind, everything.”
This kind of outside-the-box thinking from one of the league’s top players is fascinating. With Shanahan navigating a tough recovery, having a core player like McCaffrey pushing boundaries to maintain peak performance is a huge deal. The Niners are clearly hoping this unique training gives McCaffrey that extra something when the games start counting. It’s going to be wild to see how both these stories unfold as we get closer to the season opener.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
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