Coach Kyle Shanahan couldn’t go into the 49ers’ game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday without addressing the elephant in the locker room.
Talented linebacker Reuben Foster, a first-round draft pick in 2017, was released hours earlier after being arrested on charges of domestic violence at the team’s hotel Saturday night. Shanahan had to address the situation to ensure his team wasn’t playing after being blindsided by the news.
“I know that can be a distraction, everyone coming in seeing it,” Shanahan said following his team’s 27-9 loss. “But it’s only a distraction if you let it be.