The San Francisco 49ers have opened training camp without Kyle Shanahan in full control of the team after their head coach suffered a concussion and other non-life-threatening injuries in a car accident.

Shanahan has returned to the club’s facility but remains in the concussion protocol and has not been cleared to address either the players or the media. President of football operations and general manager John Lynch said medical staff would determine how quickly his involvement can increase.

Shanahan may attend portions of practice while recovering, but assistant head coach and offensive line coach Chris Foerster has assumed the leading role during the opening phase of camp. Offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak will continue calling plays in practice and is expected to handle those duties during the preseason.

San Francisco has deliberately avoided attempting to reproduce Shanahan’s workload through a single temporary replacement. Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and special teams coordinator Brant Boyer will share responsibility with Foerster, Kubiak and the team’s veteran leadership group.

“We’re going to let the condition, and the doctors, dictate how [Shanahan] comes back, when he comes back,” Lynch said during his report-day press conference. “We believe our culture is the people, and Chris is one of those who we think very highly of. He’s equipped to do this, our staff is equipped, but it will very much be a collective effort.”

Foerster is entering his 34th NFL season and has worked alongside Shanahan for 13 years, providing continuity during an absence that remains temporary. Lynch said doctors have given the club no reason to expect Shanahan will miss the regular season opener against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne.

“Number one for Kyle and the Shanahan family is getting him back right,” Lynch continued. “He’s a tremendous head coach, but this is bigger than that. This is about his wellbeing.”

The unusual start comes as San Francisco manages several other important returns from injury. George Kittle has opened camp on the active/PUP list while recovering from Achilles surgery, placing his availability for Melbourne in question. Running back Isaac Guerendo is also on PUP with a pectoral injury, alongside defensive linemen Mykel Williams and Alfred Collins, recovering from a torn ACL and shoulder surgery respectively. Lynch suggested Collins could return during the second phase of camp, but resisted making a firm prediction on whether either Williams or Kittle would be ready for Week 1.

There was better news elsewhere on a defense attempting to recover from a disappointing 2025 season. Nick Bosa has been cleared after tearing his ACL in Week 3 and will gradually progress from individual work, while linebacker Fred Warner is ready to participate following his recovery from an ankle injury.

The 49ers had already planned an unusually detailed camp because of a regular season schedule containing two international games and more air travel than any other NFL team. San Francisco has consulted rugby organisations and sleep specialists while developing its plan for Melbourne and a later visit to Mexico City, as well as investing approximately $9m in new recovery facilities.

Shanahan’s accident has now added an unexpected test of the structures around him. The coach’s eventual return remains the expectation, but the opening practices will reveal how independently the system can function while its architect watches from a distance.