SANTA CLARA – In the wake of Jacob Blake’s shooting and resulting NBA boycott of games on Wednesday, Kyle Shanahan shared that there is an open dialogue at the 49ers headquarters.
“I usually follow the lead of our players on that,” Shanahan said Thursday. “If it was important, if they did not want to practice today, we would have done it perfectly, but no one brought that to my attention.
“I opened it up to everyone and that was not what they wanted to do.”
Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot seven times in the back by police in Kenosha, Wis. On Sunday. On Sunday. Blake survived the shooting, but his father says he is paralyzed from the waist down.
Shanahan closes the practice on Wednesday with a message reminding his team that his door is open for discussion of any concerns. He added that the case is the same for CEO John Lynch, as is CEO Jed York.
The team had several conversations that revolved around social injustice in the offseason via video conferencing. Due to the extended off-season, Shanahan believes reporting for camp was a welcome distraction for many players. But he also understands that this may not be the case for everyone.
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The head coach added that if anyone needed time, there would be zero hesitation from the organization to allow that.
“It was nice for us to be back in our building,” Shanahan said. “I feel like this place is a bit of a sanctuary for us where you can come in and be yourself. We have a very authentic relationship between everyone in our building.
‘It’s a place where you do not really have to walk around on egg hunters. You can just be yourself and I feel it’s good for our players. ”
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Raheem Mostert is grateful for the open-door policy in the 49ers building and the family atmosphere. He knows that all the concerns he has raised are honestly and honestly addressed.
The backlog believes that because the team had an open conversation throughout the offseason, there was no need to have a team meeting specifically focused on the NBA boycott or cancel the practice.
Mostert, who is expecting his second child this autumn, has expressed his concern about the health of his family due to COVID-19. His family currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio and he has not yet decided if he will be present for the birth.
“At the end of the day, that’s all that matters,” Mostert said. “Human life is the most important thing. We should appreciate that. Sport is an important aspect of life for many people, but at the same time life is more important than just sport. ”
