49ERS HEAD COACH KYLE SHANAHAN INVILVED IN CAR CRASH, SUFFERES SEVERAL INJURIES

None of the injuries Shanahan suffered are life-threatening and his duties will be limited during training camp

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was involved in a two-car collision on July 14, suffering several injuries, none of which are life-threatening. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) (Dylan Buell via Getty Images)

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was involved in a car accident last week in which he suffered several injuries, none of which are life-threatening, the team announced on Saturday.

Shanahan, 46, sustained a broken nose, three broken ribs and a broken hand. He also required over 40 stitches in his face and suffered a severe concussion, according to ESPN.

General manager John Lynch will meet with reporters on Saturday afternoon to discuss the developments.

In a statement, the 49ers announced that assistant head coach Chris Foerster would handle Shanahan's head-coaching duties while Shanahan recovers, along with several coordinators on the staff.

Statement from the San Francisco 49ers. pic.twitter.com/13ugQr94bQ

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) July 25, 2026

"San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was involved in a car accident last week where he suffered non-life-threatening injuries," the statement read. "Coach Shanahan will participate in team activities on a limited basis at the start of training camp while he recovers. Coach Shanahan and the 49ers organization would like to sincerely thank all first responders involved for their efforts and care.

"Assistant head coach Chris Foerster, along with team coordinators, will handle head coach responsibilities during this period."

The accident occurred on July 14, ESPN's Adam Schefter and Nick Wagoner report. Shanahan's vehicle collided with an SUV near his home in northern California. He was taken by paramedics to a local hospital and spent most of the day there until he was released.

The other driver involved in the accident was not injured, according to Palo Alto police. Drugs and alcohol were not involved, both drivers were cooperative with law enforcement and no one was cited in the collision.

"Consistent with our standard release of information procedures in such cases, we do not release information regarding the cause of the collision, or which party may have been at fault," said Palo Alto lieutenant Nicholas Martinez, via ESPN.

Shanahan reportedly informed the 49ers assistant coaches of the accident on Tuesday. He has been recovering at home and is apparently recuperating well, but doctors will not clear him to participate in training camp activities until he is free of concussion symptoms. The 49ers open training camp on Sunday.

Foerster, 64, is in his second stint with the 49ers, joining Shanahan's staff in 2019 as a game-planning assistant before being promoted to offensive line coach. He added run coordinator duties in 2022 and three seasons later was moved up to assistant head coach.

Shanahan is going into his 10th season as 49ers head coach and has compiled an 82-67 regular-season record. He is 11 victories away from overtaking Bill Walsh for second on the team’s all-time list and 17 away from most in franchise history.

- Ian Casselberry

EAGLES ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFFS BY 49ERS IN HEARTBREAKING FASHION | NBC SPORTS

 

COLIN KAEPERNICK STILL TRAINING FOR NFL RETURN ... Says Partner Nessa

Colin Kaepernick hasn't played in a professional football game in nearly a decade, but the former star quarterback is STILL training for his NFL comeback ... this according to his longtime partner Nessa Diab.

TMZ Sports caught up with the radio and TV host this week in New York City ... when we asked about Kap, who remains a free agent, as several NFL teams are still without a QB.

Nessa -- who had a child with the former 49ers quarterback in 2022 -- told us Kap's busting his ass in the gym, training regularly, hoping an NFL GM will give him a shot to show he's still got what it takes to lead a football team.

"All day, every day!" Nessa said of Kap's training. "Nothing has changed! Nothing!"

- TMZ Sports

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CHIEFS, BILLS SET AFC TITLE GAME RECORD WITH 57.4M VIEWERS

Mahomes vs. Allen is the gift that keeps giving for CBS and the NFL, as their latest scrap notched an all-time ratings high.
PHOTO BY JAMIE SQUIRE/GETTY IMAGES

After conspiring to deliver the biggest regular-season ratings for a Sunday NFL game this season, the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs reconvened last weekend for what would prove to be the most-watched AFC championship game on the books.

According to Nielsen live-plus-same-day data, Kansas City’s 32-29 win over the Bills in the conference title tilt averaged 57.4 million viewers on CBS, edging last year’s short-lived record (55.5 million, Chiefs-Ravens). The nail-biter in Arrowhead Stadium now stands as the third-biggest NFL semifinal of the modern Nielsen era, trailing only the 2010 NFC championship game (Vikings-Saints, 57.9 million viewers) and the 2012 Giants-49ers broadcast (57.6 million), both of which aired on Fox in a time before out-of-home impressions sweetened the TV ratings pot.

The rivalry between two of the league’s most electrifying quarterbacks has been a godsend for CBS ever since Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes first met up in the 2021 AFC championship game. While that Chiefs’ 38-24 victory averaged a respectable 41.8 million viewers, that broadcast was only the beginning, as the following year saw the two foes scare up 42.7 million viewers in the divisional round, an overtime-enhanced figure that would be topped two years later in another divisional-round showstopper (50.4 million).

In a tune-up for Sunday’s playoff clash, the Bills and Chiefs teamed up in Week 11 to deliver the strongest non-Thanksgiving numbers of the regular season, as Buffalo handed KC its first loss of the 2024-25 campaign in front of a national TV audience of 31.1 million viewers.

While the class of the AFC had America on the edge of its collective seat during the primetime window, the early Commanders-Eagles game on Fox suffered from a comparable lack of suspense. Philly’s 55-23 deconstruction of Washington averaged 44.2 million viewers, marking the NFC’s lowest turnout since the Rams-Saints 2019 title game drew 44.1 million. Oddly enough, that earlier game was a relative barnburner, as Los Angeles fought back from a 13-0 deficit before matters were settled by a 57-yard field goal in overtime.

Per Nielsen, 58% of all U.S. TVs that were in use while the Commanders-Eagles game was underway were tuned to Fox.

Fox faced particularly rough comps with last season’s analogous broadcast, which featured the Detroit Lions’ first trip to the NFC championship game in 32 years. The Lions’ quixotic quest for a Super Bowl date scared up 56.7 million viewers, and now stands as the fourth most-watched Championship Sunday on record.

All told, deliveries for the 12 NFL playoff games were down 8% versus last season’s lineup, as the league’s media partners averaged 35 million viewers per window, which works out to a net loss of 3.1 million impressions per game. The league’s regular-season ratings held up better, with slippage confined to a 2% dip.

Of the top 20 most-watched AFC/NFC championship games on the books, seven were played after Nielsen began blending the out-of-home ratings impressions with its vanilla TV data in the fall of 2020. That more inclusive method of counting the house should give Fox a leg up on Super Sunday; not only have OOH deliveries over the last five years accounted for about 20% of all Super Bowl impressions, but the upcoming Chiefs-Eagles clash is expected to get a further boost care of Nielsen’s expanded OOH panel.

While Nielsen has yet to confirm that it has beefed up its legacy OOH reporting system beyond the 44 media markets it currently monitors, bringing its coverage from approximately 65% of all users to an even 100%, an official announcement is expected to land shortly before Super Bowl LIX kicks off in New Orleans on Feb.

- ANTHONY CRUPI

TRENT WILLIAMS, 49ERS FINALIZING NEW DEAL TO END HOLDOUT

USA TODAY Sports 

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Trent Williams' holdout is over.

The San Francisco 49ers are finalizing a new deal with Williams, according to his agency, ending their prolonged contract dispute and putting the star left tackle in position to play in next Monday's season opener against the New York Jets.

Social media posts from Williams' brother showed the 11-time Pro Bowler returning to the Bay Area on Monday night, and his agency, Elite Loyalty Sports, confirmed Tuesday on social media that the three-time All-Pro was "headed to SF to finalize a new deal" with the 49ers.

Williams, 36, has held out of San Francisco's entire training camp, accruing more than $4 million in fines for missing every practice and three preseason games. Williams, who spent his time away from the team at home in Houston preparing for the season, had been owed $20.05 million this season under the six-year, $138.1 million deal he signed in 2021.

The Niners left Williams off their 53-man roster last week, keeping him on the reserve/did not report list. San Francisco created over $5.4 million in salary cap space Tuesday, according to ESPN's Field Yates, by restructuring the contract of defensive lineman Maliek Collins.

This will be the second time the Niners have reconfigured a deal for a star player this offseason. They did a similar deal with Christian McCaffrey in June that gave the running back significant guarantees and bolstered his average annual pay.

The ramped-up negotiations between Williams and the 49ers came less than a week after the defending NFC champions resolved a similar contract dispute with star receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who signed a four-year, $120 million deal that includes $76 million guaranteed.

For their part, the Niners never seemed overly worried about Williams' holdout. Coach Kyle Shanahan offered no concern about Williams last month, saying, "I think we'll be able to work that out."

Widely considered the NFL's top offensive lineman, Williams has an average annual salary that ranks sixth among tackles after Tampa Bay's Tristan Wirfs, Detroit's Penei Sewell and Minnesota's Christian Darrisaw all signed big-money deals this offseason. Houston's Laremy Tunsil and the Giants' Andrew Thomas also make more than Williams in terms of average annual salary.

Williams' current deal also includes no more guaranteed money, though the 49ers are still on the hook for nearly $30 million in signing bonus proration through 2027 because of restructures they have done on the contract.

Williams ranked as the best pass-blocking tackle in the NFL in 2023, with a 95.8% pass block win rate. The Niners averaged 6.05 yards per carry when rushing behind Williams to the left side last season, while averaging 4.45 yards per attempt on all other rushing attempts.

Last season, Williams missed two games, played through injury in another and played only 12 snaps in a meaningless Week 18 game against the Rams. The 49ers were 0-4 in those games and 12-1 in all others.

Given their current offensive line issues, Williams' return doesn't come a moment too soon for the Niners. Their top three guards -- Aaron Banks (broken pinkie), Spencer Burford (broken hand) and Jon Feliciano (knee surgery) -- have missed significant practice time. Feliciano will miss regular-season games.

Fourth-year veteran Jaylon Moore handled left tackle duties in Williams' stead throughout the preseason, but Williams is expected to step back into his starting role quickly upon his return.

- Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff Writer

49 FAVOURED IN EVERY GAME THIS SEASON, IS MAHOMES A VILLAIN?

THE SUPER BOWL SET: MAHOMES AND AND THE CHIEFS WILL FACE PURDY AND THE 49ERS

AP Photo

 Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs are heading to Las Vegas with a chance for a rare repeat while facing the San Francisco 49ers in a Super Bowl rematch from four years ago.

The Chiefs beat Lamar Jackson and the No. 1-seeded Baltimore Ravens 17-10 in the AFC championship game Sunday to advance to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in five years. A few hours later, Brock Purdy rallied the No. 1-seeded 49ers to a 34-31 victory over the Detroit Lions in the NFC title game.

The Chiefs (14-6) are aiming to become the first back-to-back champions since Tom Brady and the New England Patriots did it following the 2003-04 seasons.

Purdy — who was still two years away from being the last pick of the 2022 NFL draft the last time the teams played in the Super Bowl — will try to lead the 49ers (14-5) to a record-tying sixth title in their eighth appearance.

The teams meet at Allegiant Stadium on Feb. 12. The 49ers opened as 2 1/2-point favorites, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Mahomes and the Chiefs overcame a 20-10 fourth-quarter deficit and beat the 49ers 31-20 to give coach Andy Reid his first Super Bowl victory on Feb. 2, 2020. Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers spoiled Kansas City’s repeat bid the following year.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS TROPHY CEREMONY | NFC CHAMPIONSHIP

NFL ROUNDUP: RAVENS THRASH DOLPHINS, GRAB NO. 1 SEED IN AFC

Lamar Jackson. USA TODAY Sports 

Lamar Jackson passed for 321 yards and matched his career high of five touchdown passes and the Baltimore Ravens clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a 56-19 dismantling of the visiting Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

Isaiah Likely had two touchdown receptions and Zay Flowers (106 receiving yards), Justice Hill, Patrick Ricard and Charlie Kolar each had one for the Ravens (13-3). Gus Edwards and Melvin Gordon III each rushed for a score for Baltimore, which has won six straight games and 10 of its past 11.

Roquan Smith and Geno Stone had interceptions for the Ravens, who have won eight games by 14 or more points this season. Miami star linebacker Bradley Chubb was carted off with a potentially serious knee injury with 3:05 remaining.

Tua Tagovailoa completed 22 of 38 passes for 237 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for Miami (11-5) but sustained an injury to his left (throwing) shoulder. He was injured while sliding during a scramble with 7:55 left and missed the rest of the contest. De'Von Achane rushed 107 yards and caught a touchdown pass for the Dolphins.

49ers 27, Commanders 10

Brock Purdy threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns as San Francisco clinched the top seed in the NFC by beating Washington in Landover, Md.

Elijah Mitchell carried 17 times for 80 yards and a touchdown as the 49ers (12-4) locked down the top record in the conference after losses by Detroit on Saturday and Philadelphia on Sunday. Mitchell took over for Christian McCaffrey, who was sidelined with an ankle injury early in the third quarter after rushing 14 times for 64 yards.

Brock Purdy. USA TODAY Sports 

Sam Howell completed 17 of 28 passes for 169 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for Washington (4-12), which dropped its seventh straight, its longest single-season losing streak since 1998.

Chiefs 25, Bengals 17

Harrison Butker booted six field goals while Isiah Pacheco and Rashee Rice each gained over 100 yards from scrimmage as Kansas City clinched the AFC West with a victory over visiting Cincinnati.

Harrison Butker. USA TODAY Sports 

Patrick Mahomes finished 21-of-29 passing for 245 yards and a touchdown for the Chiefs (10-6), who clinched their eighth straight division title. Pacheco totaled 130 yards on 18 carries and had seven receptions for 35 yards and a touchdown, and Rice finished with five catches for 127 yards.

Justin Watson. USA TODAY Sports 

Jake Browning completed 19 of 33 passes for 197 yards. He threw for a TD and rushed for another for the Bengals (8-8), who were eliminated from playoff contention with the loss. Cincinnati led 17-7 in the second quarter before Kansas City scored the final 18 points.

Bills 27, Patriots 21

Quarterback Josh Allen rushed for a pair of 1-yard touchdowns and Buffalo held off a late rally by New England to earn a victory in Orchard Park, N.Y.

The Bills (10-6) will go into the final week of the regular season holding the AFC's second wild-card berth but not yet assured of a postseason spot. Allen put Buffalo up 27-14 with 10:42 remaining in the third quarter when he snuck into the end zone with the help of a push from running back Latavius Murray.

Josh Allen. USA TODAY Sports 

Ezekiel Elliott rushed for a 6-yard score early in the fourth to pull New England (4-12) within six, and the Patriots ended up getting the ball back with 6:41 left in the game. However, New England failed to get past its 11-yard line, and the Bills then ran out the clock.

Bears 37, Falcons 17

Justin Fields passed for 268 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 45 yards and a score to lift host Chicago over Atlanta.

The Bears (7-9) relied on a balanced attack that outgained Atlanta 432-307 to win for the fourth time in the past five games. Khalil Herbert led the ground game, rushing 18 times for 124 yards and a touchdown.

The Falcons (7-9) lost for the third time in four games as their dim NFC playoff hopes took a hit. Taylor Heinicke finished 10-for-29 passing for 163 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions before Desmond Ridder entered in relief late in the fourth quarter.

Texans 26, Titans 3

C.J. Stroud passed for 213 yards and a touchdown in his return from a two-game concussion absence and host Houston kept its postseason hopes alive by thumping Tennessee.

Stroud completed 24 of 32 pass attempts and tossed a 12-yard touchdown to Brevin Jordan in the second quarter to extend the Houston lead to 10-0. Eight seconds later, the Texans (9-7) produced their first defensive touchdown of the season when Sheldon Rankins returned a fumble by Titans quarterback Will Levis 13 yards for a score.

Levis suffered a right foot injury while being sacked by Jerry Hughes on the play. Levis labored walking to the sideline and was carted to the locker room. Ryan Tannehill replaced Levis and passed for 168 yards. The Texans recorded five sacks of Tannehill while limiting the Titans (5-11) to 187 yards of total offense.

Colts 23, Raiders 20

Gardner Minshew threw for 224 yards and a touchdown while Jonathan Taylor ran for 96 yards and another score as host Indianapolis kept its hopes for an AFC South title alive by beating Las Vegas.

Matt Gay added second-half field goals of 38, 33 and 45 yards as the Colts (9-7) remained in a three-way tie with Jacksonville and Houston in the division. They will have to beat the visiting Texans next week in their regular-season finale and hope the Jaguars lose at Tennessee to claim a division crown.

Aidan O'Connell hit on 30 of 47 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns for Las Vegas (7-9), which was eliminated from playoff consideration. Davante Adams caught 13 passes for 126 yards and two scores.

Jaguars 26, Panthers 0

Brandon McManus kicked four field goals and Jacksonville's defense dominated as the hosts shut out Carolina.

The Jaguars (9-7) snapped a four-game losing streak and moved closer to repeating as AFC South champions. Sunday's win came with backup quarterback C.J. Beathard at the controls for the Jaguars. Trevor Lawrence, who sustained a shoulder injury a week earlier, missed a game for the first time since he arrived in the NFL in 2021, ending a string of 49 straight games played.

Bryce Young had 112 yards and an interception on 19-of-32 passing for the Panthers (2-14).

Rams 26, Giants 25

Matthew Stafford passed for 317 yards and a touchdown and Kyren Williams rushed for three scores to help Los Angeles defeat New York in East Rutherford, N.J.

Stafford completed 24 of 34 passes with two interceptions, Williams rushed for 87 yards on 20 carries and Puka Nacua caught five passes for 118 yards for the Rams (9-7), who have won six of their past seven.

Tyrod Taylor passed for 319 yards and a touchdown and Darius Slayton caught four passes for 106 yards and a long touchdown for the Giants (5-11), who have lost three in a row. New York failed to convert a two-point conversion try to take the lead with 3:27 left, and Mason Crosby missed a 54-yard field goal with 30 seconds remaining.

Cardinals 35, Eagles 31

James Conner rushed for a 2-yard touchdown with 32 seconds to play and Arizona stunned host Philadelphia to leave the NFC playoff picture in disarray.

Needing a stop to halt their December slide, the Eagles saw their defense fall flat, allowing touchdowns on all four second-half possessions to permit 29 points as Philadelphia (11-5) dropped out of first place in the NFC East.

Kyler Murray was rarely pressured after a first-half interception and completed 25 of 31 passes for 232 yards and three TDs for Arizona (4-12). Conner had 26 carries for 128 yards. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles had only 275 total yards to Arizona's 449.

Saints 23, Buccaneers 13

Derek Carr threw two touchdown passes, New Orleans forced four turnovers and the visiting Saints stayed in contention for a postseason berth with a win over Tampa Bay.

Baker Mayfield was 22-of-33 passing for 309 yards and two touchdowns but had two interceptions. Tampa Bay (8-8), which had won four in a row, missed an opportunity to clinch its third consecutive NFC South title, but can still do so with a victory at Carolina next weekend.

The Saints (8-8), who avenged a 26-9 home loss to the Buccaneers in Week 4, can win the South with a win over Atlanta and a Bucs loss to the Panthers in Week 18.

Steelers 30, Seahawks 23

Najee Harris rushed 27 times for 122 yards and two touchdowns as Pittsburgh continued its playoff push with a victory against host Seattle.

Mason Rudolph, starting for the injured Kenny Pickett, completed 18 of 24 passes for 274 yards for the Steelers (9-7). Geno Smith was 23-of-33 passing for 290 yards and one touchdown for the Seahawks (8-8), who had a two-game winning streak snapped and saw their postseason chances diminish.

The Seahawks reached the red zone before stalling, settling for Jason Myers' 24-yard field goal with 2:01 remaining to make it a one-possession game. The Steelers recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock.

Broncos 16, Chargers 9

Jarrett Stidham threw for 224 yards and a touchdown in his first start in nearly a year, but Denver was eliminated from the playoff hunt despite beating visiting Los Angeles.

Stidham took over starting duties from Russell Wilson this week after the Broncos (8-8) lost three of their previous four games, and he completed 20 of 32 passes without a turnover. Denver was eliminated when the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.

Easton Stick completed 24 of 38 passes for 220 yards in his third straight start for the Chargers (5-11) since Justin Herbert went down with a broken right index finger against the Broncos on Dec. 10. Alex Erickson caught seven passes for 98 yards for Los Angeles, which has lost four in a row and seven of eight.

Packers 33, Vikings 10

Jordan Love passed for three touchdowns and rushed for one more and Green Bay cruised to a win over Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Love completed 24 of 33 passes for 256 yards for Green Bay (8-8), which boosted its playoff hopes while reducing the Vikings' chances to near zero. The Packers can clinch a playoff berth with a win against the Chicago Bears in Week 18. Jayden Reed had six catches for 89 yards and two touchdowns for Green Bay.

Nick Mullens completed 13 of 22 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown for Minnesota (7-9), which lost its third game in a row. Mullens entered the game in the second half as a replacement for starter Jaren Hall, who completed 5 of 10 passes for 67 yards and an interception.

--Field Level Media

MCCAFFREY SCORES 3 TD'S AND 49ERS CLINCH NFC WEST WITH 45-29 ROUT OF CARDINALS FOR 6TH STRAIGHT WIN

Brock Purdy. AP Photo

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Deebo Samuel was stunned to be so wide open for San Francisco's first touchdown of the game. A few quarters later, Christian McCaffrey had enough time to catch a deep pass, fall to the turf, then scramble to his feet and run for a 41-yard touchdown.

Brock Purdy's return to the desert as the 49ers quarterback was everything he ever dreamed — especially since Arizona's defense was in a helpful mood.

McCaffrey scored three touchdowns, Samuel added two scores, and the 49ers clinched the NFC West title by pushing their winning streak to six games with a 45-29 win over the Cardinals on Sunday.

“In high school, I'd come watch the Cardinals, and now I'm playing on the field,” Purdy said. “It's so cool. Definitely something I'll look back on in life and be thankful.”

Purdy — making his first NFL start at State Farm Stadium, which is about 45 miles from where he grew up — completed 16 of 25 passes for 242 yards and tied a career high with four touchdowns. He also shook off a hard hit in the second quarter that caused him to miss a few plays.

49ERS LINEBACKER DRE GREENLAW, EAGLES SECURITY CHIEF DOM DISANDRO EJECTED IN NFC TITLE GAME REMATCH

AP Photo 

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw was ejected from Sunday's 42-19 win against Philadelphia for putting his hand in the face of the Eagles' chief security officer.

Dom DiSandro, a constant presence on the Eagles' sideline and whenever players are out in public, pulled Greenlaw off Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith after a reception in the third quarter. Greenlaw popped up and reached over two officials to touch DiSandro's face with a closed fist.

Greenlaw was ejected. DiSandro also was told to leave and walked to the locker room to a roaring ovation from Eagles fans.

Greenlaw also was flagged 12 yards for unnecessary roughness

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