SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Kyle Shanahan didn’t think he’d be here this fast, nor did anyone else in the 49ers building.
Two months ago, the coach sent his team off for summer break thinking Jimmy Garoppolo had really responded to a tumultuous offseason, and rookie Trey Lance, whose acquisition was the primary source of that tumult, had a long way to go. When they got back, six weeks had passed. Things had changed.
“I can tell [Lance] put himself in position to play this year with what he did in the 40 days away,” Shanahan said in a quiet moment after Wednesday practice.