SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- For the second day in a row, San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan watched practice from a distance as he continues to recover from injuries, including a concussion, suffered in a July 14 car accident.
While the 49ers are projecting confidence about their ability to handle Shanahan's limited presence, they also aren't denying that things have been a bit different in the first two practices of this camp.
Brock Purdy might be feeling that more than anyone else given how closely he works with Shanahan in the playcaller/quarterback dynamic.
"He's our guy," Purdy said Monday. "He's the one leading all team meetings and stuff and going over just situational football, what practice is going to look like. He's our leader. So, it has been weird in terms of not having that."
In a normal workday, Shanahan and Purdy have almost constant communication with the coach on the walkie-talkie during practice, relaying plays to Purdy and offering real-time feedback on how those plays are executed.
But with Shanahan able to only watch alongside general manager John Lynch for now, many of his duties are falling elsewhere.
Assistant head coach Chris Foerster, who also handles the offensive line, has grabbed some of Shanahan's responsibilities, but it's coordinator Klay Kubiak who is working closest with Purdy and the offense at large for right now.
Purdy said Kubiak and the other assistants have been up to the task in keeping practices running seamlessly without Shanahan. The quarterback credited Kubiak's experience calling plays in preseason games the past two years as well as his work during offensive installation periods as key in smoothing that transition.
"I will say, I think the assistant coaches have done a good job of stepping up," Purdy said. "That side of it is really good and positive. But obviously, he's our head coach and we all want him here."
Although Shanahan hasn't been running meetings or practice like he usually does, 49ers players have noted his presence. At Sunday's camp opening session, Shanahan came out midway through the team period and was on the field for a special teams gathering before heading back inside after about 30 minutes.