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"Kyle's great. I love Kyle," Belichick said. "A ton of respect for him, his dad, and the way they coach the game ... I studied them a lot and I've learned a lot from both Kyle and Mike. They're great coaches, and their teams are very competitive."
That very sentiment is certainly not lost on those within the walls of the 49ers locker room, either.
Wide receiver Chris Conley, a respected veteran now entering his 10th NFL season, took some time during his session with the media to praise Shanahan for his level of intensity when it comes to the fine details of the game, how he holds players to a higher standard, and what he generally sees as a distinctly different approach when it comes to playing for the 49ers organization.
The specific question posed to Conley was in regard to "what it means to be a 49er" and what's been different about the culture with the 49ers as compared to other organizations he has played for over the course of the last decade.
"And he [Shanahan] makes no mistake about letting people know like, 'Hey, you have to earn it.' You earn everything here. Everything is about doing things the right way and attacking it. That's something I believe in, too."
"It's about ball."
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) August 12, 2024
Chris Conley is loving the 49ers' culture compared to some of his past NFL stops 💯 pic.twitter.com/MCQHI2jqxA
Keep in mind, the 31-year-old Conley spent four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs playing under the wildly successful Andy Reid, one of the most celebrated and adored NFL head coaches in recent memory. And given that it wasn't just a quick pitstop in Kansas City, with Conley essentially getting the full Andy Reid experience, the words he expressed about Shanahan kind of automatically vault to a special level of praise.
While Conley isn't exactly high on the 49ers wide receiver depth chart—he did make some clutch catches during the playoffs last season as well as the Super Bowl—having a veteran voice who appears to take nothing for granted, even in year 10, seems like an important presence to keep in the locker room as opposed to sending to the practice squad.
Based on Shanahan's most recent quote about Conley, things seem to be trending toward the veteran making the 53-man roster.