San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Saturday that his Tesla Model S was on autopilot at the moment of the car accident that injured him last month, marking the first time he has publicly detailed the mechanics of the crash since training camp began.
Speaking to reporters for the first time since the 49ers opened camp, Shanahan said he is now roughly at full strength and intends to coach San Francisco's preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans on Thursday. The update comes weeks after a crash that left the 49ers coach with a concussion, three broken ribs and a broken left hand.
According to CBS Sports, the accident occurred on July 14 when Shanahan, driving his Tesla, crossed into oncoming traffic. Late last month, Shanahan met privately with a group of reporters to clarify what happened, stating explicitly that he was the one who drifted into the opposing lane, not the 21-year-old driver of the other vehicle, according to CBS Sports.
On Saturday, Shanahan filled in the remaining details. He said the crash happened after he dropped his phone and looked down to retrieve it, taking his eyes off the road. At that moment, his car's autopilot feature was engaged, though Shanahan told reporters, via ESPN, that he was not certain whether the system malfunctioned or whether he had accidentally disengaged it while reaching for the phone.
"Anytime you cause an accident that can be avoided, you feel pretty stupid, especially when you have a chance to hurt someone else," Shanahan said, according to CBS Sports. "Who knows what happened when I turned around, whether it malfunctioned or whether I knocked it off I don't know yet. But regardless, it's always your fault. Whether you're on autopilot or not, you can't take your eyes off the road. It's a partnership, driving, you don't just turn it over to a computer."
Shanahan added that he has used Tesla's autopilot feature in some form for nine years and considers himself "pretty comfortable" with it, but the crash underscored for him that the technology does not remove a driver's responsibility to stay attentive.
Cutting Back Coaching Duties To Recover
As he works back toward full health, Shanahan said he has scaled back parts of his usual routine, particularly the long hours he typically spends reviewing game film. "I try not to come in here every single day because I feel like, if I did, I wouldn't be able to pull off my normal routine, which is watching hours and hours of tape and getting to walk through the night being able to watch stuff after that," Shanahan said, via ESPN. "Eventually I will get there."
The comment suggests Shanahan is managing a gradual return rather than an immediate resumption of his full workload, even as he prepares to be on the sideline for Thursday's preseason game.
A Concussion That Reshaped His View Of Head Injuries
Beyond the physical toll, Shanahan told reporters the concussion he suffered has changed how he thinks about players who deal with head trauma, according to NBC Sports. Asked directly whether the injury altered his perspective on concussed players, Shanahan didn't hesitate.
"Yeah, no doubt," Shanahan said, according to NBC Sports. "I've been told so much by these guys, don't compare a sports concussion to an accident like this. I'm starting to realize that now. Just little things, like when they label things, like whether it's severe or mild. You hear someone has a mild one, I'm like, 'Oh, alright. It might be one game, but usually that's two.' Then you kind of learn those are just words. Each one's a little bit different."
He continued: "I definitely can relate to how scary it is when you don't know if you will feel right again. It's definitely made me more educated on it. Usually I just listen, and like, 'Tell me when, OK?' and I move on, but I understand it a lot better and what guys got to go through and the protocol to get back. There's not a protocol for me on paper, but it's really cool to be in a profession that knows what to do with those things. All the people that I need help from, it was already built in here. They've got a lot of experience with it, and it's been really good for me."
NBC Sports noted that the shift in perspective could matter beyond Shanahan's personal recovery. The outlet observed that while most players don't use concussions as an excuse to avoid practice or games, some resist being fully evaluated or try to mask symptoms to get back on the field sooner. NBC Sports pointed out that Peyton Manning once admitted, before calling it a joke, to intentionally underperforming on baseline cognitive testing to make it easier to be cleared to return. Since 2009, when Congress began scrutinizing player brain health, the NFL has treated concussion protocols as a serious priority, though NBC Sports noted lapses in the concussion-spotting process still occur periodically.
Having now gone through a severe head injury himself, Shanahan may be better positioned to encourage players to take the time they need rather than rush back, and NBC Sports suggested he could also be less inclined to let a player lose his spot on the depth chart simply because he missed time with a head injury.
A Coach Under Pressure To Get Back
Shanahan, 46, is entering his 10th season leading the 49ers. Under his direction, San Francisco has posted an 82-67 regular-season record and gone 9-5 in the playoffs, according to CBS Sports. The 49ers reached the NFC title under Shanahan in 2019 and again in 2024, though both of those seasons ended in Super Bowl losses to the Kansas City Chiefs.
With the preseason opener against the Titans just days away, Shanahan's update offered the clearest picture yet of both his physical recovery and how the accident has affected his approach to a part of the job he has overseen for nearly a decade: managing player health and safety inside the 49ers organization.
