Ex-Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan will be in attendance when the San Francisco 49ers practice against his former team in Denver later this week, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB. He obviously won't be there for the Broncos, though. His son, Kyle, is the head coach of the 49ers and the elder Shanahan wanted to attend the joint practice sessions between the two teams.
Mike Shanahan felt awkward about returning to his former team for the first time since being fired while visiting with an opponent's squad, even if it is for the preseason. General manager John Elway and the Broncos had been trying to arrange a visit by their former head coach for about a year. Shanahan was fired after the 2008 season after winning two championships during his time in Denver. The last one, however, was following the 1998 season, so 10 years had passed.
Shanahan had dinner with new Broncos head coach Vic Fangio shortly after he got the job. Fangio extended an invite then to return to Denver's facilities and Shanahan finally did so in late July and took in all the changes that have taken place since he was last there, including the upgraded practice facilities.
"It was very impressive to see, the indoor [fields] and everything else," Shanahan told Breer.
So Mike Shanahan will return again when his son, Kyle, and the 49ers take part in practices with the Broncos on Friday and Saturday before the two teams play a preseason game on Monday, August 19.
The 49ers will travel to Denver after Wednesday's practice in Santa Clara.
Click here to read Breer's entire feature over at The MMQB.
Kyle Shanahan Sees Tight End Luke Farrell As Prime 49ers Roster Asset
By Don Atkinson
Apr 6
There are certainly other higher-profile roster moves taking place in San Francisco these days, but one of the lesser talked about changes may have a bigger impact on the 49ers' offense this year than some might expect.
Three weeks ago, the 49ers signed free-agent tight end...
NFC scout: 49ers' draft plan is clear—if Kyle Shanahan can resist temptation
By David Bonilla
Apr 10
With the 2025 NFL Draft approaching, many experts expect the San Francisco 49ers to focus early on rebuilding the trenches. However, general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan recently downplayed the team's offensive line needs during the NFL's annual meeting.
"We...
Does 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk have a 'chance' to play Week 1?
By David Bonilla
Apr 4
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan addressed the media this week at the NFL's annual meeting in Florida, providing a brief update on the status of wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The veteran wideout is working his way back from a torn ACL and MCL suffered in...
Despite waning time in San Francisco, George Kittle is everything the 49ers aspire to be
By Bob Heyrman
4 hrs
The San Francisco 49ers have spent much of the offseason trimming the fat and cleaning house, focusing on becoming much younger, more athletic, and, most importantly, durable heading into the 2025-26 season. It's been a spring that's seen plenty of aging veterans packing their...
