Kyle Shanahan’s return to the 49ers hinges on one thing: the concussion symptoms have to clear. Until then, the head coach stays on the sideline, and nobody has a clean read on when that moment will come.
Eleven days ago, Shanahan suffered what was described as a “severe concussion,” along with a broken nose, a broken hand, three broken ribs and a laceration on his face that required 40 stitches. The concussion is the injury keeping him from coaching right now.
To get a better sense of what “severe” means in this case, a doctor was consulted for insight. The explanation was sobering: a severe concussion likely means Shanahan was unconscious for some period after the accident.
The recovery window is all over the map. The doctor said that if 100 patients had severe concussions, 10 percent would make full recoveries in a week, while another 10 percent would still not be fully recovered a year later. In other words, Shanahan could be back in a few weeks, or he could miss the entire season.
While he recovers, the likely symptoms include fatigue, memory loss, headaches and trouble concentrating. He may feel fine for a stretch while resting, only to have the symptoms return once he starts trying to focus and do his job again.
There are also some clear do-not-do items. The doctor said Shanahan should not drink alcohol during recovery because it would slow the process down. He may also need heavy-duty pain medication for the headaches, which makes following medical advice even more important.
When Shanahan does come back, the doctor suggested watching how he speaks. If his speech is slower than normal or he’s using smaller words than he usually would, that could be a sign he isn’t ready yet.
For now, there’s no firm timetable. Not Shanahan, not the 49ers, and not their doctors know when he’ll be ready to return.
The good news for San Francisco is that the team should be able to manage without him in the short term. Training-camp installations are typically scripted weeks in advance, and those should already be finished. Beyond the daily 30-minute speech Shanahan gives the team, the 49ers should be able to get through camp.
That helps explain why the club feels prepared to weather his absence. The 49ers canceled minicamp last month, and they have a roster full of veterans who can help lead practices while Shanahan is out.
Still, once the season begins, there’s only one person in the organization who can do what Shanahan does, and that’s him. The source material goes so far as to say his absence would be more damaging than Brock Purdy getting hurt, since the 49ers have a solid backup quarterback.
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