San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with reporters during a conference call on Friday, the day after the team's 12-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Here's everything he said.
Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
Opening comments:
"Alright guys, injuries from the game: [S] Ji'Ayir Brown had a groin, checked out pretty good though, he'll be day-to-day, [LB] Dee Winters, same thing with his neck, he'll be day-to-day also, [LB Dre] Greenlaw with his Achillies/knee, checked out good, he's just dealing with some soreness so he should be good going forward, he'll be day-to-day. And that's it from the game."
What are your plans to do with LB De'Vondre Campbell Sr.?
"We're working through the semantics of exactly how to deal with it, but you guys heard from me last night, you guys heard from our players, his actions from the game just, it's not something you can do to your team or your teammates and still expect to be a part of our team. So, we're working through exactly the semantics of it right now, but we'll handle the situation appropriately."
Has there been any contact with him? Has he further explained if anything was going on, why he did that?
"No."
When LB Fred Warner had to leave in the, I guess, second quarter for a snap, LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles went in instead of Campbell to replace him. Did you have any sense before that something may have been off with De'Vondre? Or just, why didn't he go in for that snap and why did Flannigan-Fowles replace Fred?
"Just because he wasn't by the teammates at all and was distant from everyone. I didn't notice until the third quarter when Dre came out and Dee went in. And then I got on the defensive headset and asked what was going on, and then the coaches told me, and then I addressed De'Vondre and found out. And it was pretty simple to see how he was and then we moved on with our lives after that."
What's your perspective, just where the team is right now and hope and what your goals are and what you want to accomplish the rest of the season? Just to basically in essence, set yourself up for 2025?
"I want us to show up next week like we showed up for this game. I thought our guys came out ready to play. I thought they were extremely physical. I thought our guys battled. I didn't think we played very well on offense. I thought there were a few key plays that we could've made that would've been the difference in the game. But I thought our guys sold out for that game and I expect them to sell out here for these next three games. Every time we have on our uniform, we go out on the field, regardless of the situation, I expect us to play a certain way. That's the standard of how we do things and if you can't play to that standard then make it easy for us and show us that and you won't be a part of it."
I realize this has been happening all season, but will you start to work in younger players, less experienced players with an eye toward 2025?
"Anybody has an opportunity that we think can help us going forward and stuff, we would definitely do that. But I think you kind of said in your question, we've already been doing that. We are playing a lot of young players right now and a lot of guys got their opportunities early because of injuries and they're continuing to get it. So, there's not a lot of options there after that. But we're going to keep playing the guys who give us the best chance to win every week and that's what we plan on doing."
What have you seen from WR Jacob Cowing as a returner? It seems like he's come really close to breaking one and he actually did a really good job in the hidden yardage department last night. What have you seen from him as a returner and what has led to him getting more snaps?
"We've seen him really in the last month we felt take a step forward in his returning. He missed that game with a concussion and when he came back from that we felt like he's been close. We think he's improved throughout this year and finishing strong right now and hopefully he'll finish even stronger in these next three games."
Now that you can look back on it just by several hours ago, was Dre Greenlaw's performance last night, maybe even a little more amazing than you thought at first glance?
"I thought it was pretty amazing at first glance and so kind of just confirmed it. Dre, he's an amazing player and it's not the first time he did that. A few years ago, I think '21 it was, I'm pretty sure it was '21, his first game that he got hurt in Week One versus Detroit and the next time he played was in Week 17 versus the Rams when we needed to win that to go to the playoffs. And that game, I thought he had one of the best games I've ever seen from linebacker play and it was looking a lot like that last night too. Exactly the same, it was just only a half a football, but it was amazing."
What gives you hope for a better season in 2025?
"I'll talk about 2025 when we get to 2025. But, you have hope every year. You put together the best team possible, you go and practice and you go out there and you battle. So that's what we do every single offseason. You figure out how to get the best players possible through free agency and the Draft, you try to keep your best players as possible, you go to work and you show up for Week One."
Just to be clear, you don't expect De'Vondre Campbell to be on the team Week 16 and beyond?
"No, I don't."
What had been your assessment of how De'Vondre played this year and kind of how he fit in previous to what happened last night?
"We were needing a starting-caliber linebacker to fill in for Dre until he could get back. We didn't know how long that would be. I thought he had some ups and downs throughout the year. I thought he started off slow. I thought he got more used to our defense and how we expected people to play and I thought he improved throughout the year."
To play an entire game and not get in the redzone, has that happened before in your career as a play caller to your knowledge?
"I'm not sure exactly. I don't remember. I've been doing it for a long time."
After the game when you talked about QB Brock Purdy's interception it almost sounded like you felt like he made the right read. Brock said that on second down he wished he had just checked it down, but at the time he let go of that ball, did you think that was the right decision that he made?
"Yeah, you've got to put yourself in the quarterback's shoes. When you have a remote in your hand and you can see it all, you've got a zoning corner who's bailing a little bit and you never want to throw that, as we'd say when the receiver's chasing a ghost. But there is a pass rush and stuff, he's holding the safety, and when you look out there the corner did buckle and that's why there was some contact which slowed [WR] Jauan [Jennings] down because the corner did stop on the double move and collided with Jauan. That's why he couldn't get back going and catch up to the ball. So yeah, when you get a Cover Three and they're off, you would love to get to a check down. It's a much better percentage of it. But that's not so easy. So, I understand why he threw it. That's why I wish I didn't call it so there wasn't any indecision. We had an opportunity but the corner ended up making a good play and we didn't get it done."
After the game, WR Deebo Samuel Sr. was obviously frustrated with his performance. What did you see from his performance after looking at the film? Did you have any chance to talk to him at all after the game?
"No, I didn't get a chance to talk to him after the game, but I think it was pretty obvious, Deebo did the best with his opportunities and the best opportunity he had he didn't look the ball in and got too excited probably trying to score. He had the same route earlier in the game out of the backfield on a first-and-10 where he gained about six yards and on this one they blitzed so he had a good look and didn't look it in and had a big drop. So that was about it."
Is there any update with T Trent Williams and what he plans to do the next few games?
"He's trying to get back, but it's just been a frustrating injury for him. It hasn't healed like he or we would like. Having these 10 more days before our next game, hopefully that gives a better chance. But, Trent's doing everything he can to get back, but he is injured and with the injury there is a chance he will get back, but it has to start recovering and it's been a lot slower than anticipated."
Did you tell De'Vondre to go to the locker room after you talked to him?
"No, I didn't."
He just went on his own?
"I'm not sure exactly what led to him leaving the field, but once I found out he wasn't playing I moved on to people who we could count on."
DL Nick Bosa came out of the game fine, I'm assuming, since he wasn't on the injury report?
"Yeah. No report of anything today. So, it was awesome to get Nick back and he really helped us. It was a good sign that they didn't tell me about anything today."
