Kyle Shanahan, head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, recently addressed the media for the first time since a car accident that resulted in multiple injuries, including broken ribs, a broken nose, a broken hand, facial cuts, and a concussion. He announced his return to the sidelines for the team’s first preseason game, despite the aftermath of the crash.

At the press conference, Shanahan discussed his views on Tesla’s autopilot feature, which supposedly allows cars to drive themselves. Reflecting on the collision he recently experienced, Shanahan admitted that it altered his perception of the technology. “When you’re going at 20 miles an hour and you’re on autopilot, I honestly have zero worries,” he stated. “I have so much trust in that stuff. That was a good lesson that you can’t ever have zero worries.”

Although Shanahan owns a Tesla and did not criticize the brand or Elon Musk in 2025, he shared how the incident gave him new insights into driving safety. He recounted how his phone fell into the back seat, prompting him to take his eyes off the road. Whether this led to the malfunction or the crash remains unclear. Regardless, Shanahan emphasized the importance of maintaining focus and control while driving, even with autopilot.

The crash also offered him a new understanding of concussions, a common issue in the NFL. Shanahan acknowledged he had not previously engaged deeply with the details of players’ concussion journeys. However, his recent experience has given him a better grasp of the unpredictable nature of concussions.

Shanahan described how similarly labeled concussions, whether mild or severe, can have varying recovery times and effects. He expressed increased empathy towards players navigating concussion protocol, emphasizing his newfound recognition of the challenges they face.

While Shanahan continues to recover from his own concussion, reporting ongoing headaches and fatigue, he noted improvements in his tolerance to noise at practice. Earlier, loudspeakers playing music like AC/DC exacerbated his symptoms, but now lower intensity sounds are less troubling.