SANTA CLARA — Coach Kyle Shanahan is not ruling out Tevin Coleman for Super Bowl LIV despite losing the starting running back to a dislocated shoulder in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game.
“I expect him to have a chance to play,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “Can’t hold me to that. We’ll find out more after the imaging (tests). But I expect him to have a good chance to play.”
Coleman underwent an MRI on his right shoulder. Although Shanahan did not yet have the results, he did not consider it an injury requiring surgery. Rather a week’s rest could do the trick if the shoulder gets back in place, a “Lethal Weapon type of thing,” Shanahan said in reference to Mel Gibson’s movie character who fixes his dislocated shoulder by slamming it into a wall.
The 49ers will face the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 2 for the Lombardi Trophy in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Coleman’s exit in Sunday’s 37-20 win over the Green Bay Packers did not derail a historic night by the 49ers’ rushing attack. Raheem Mostert ran for a franchise-record 220 yards and scored four touchdowns, the first player in NFL playoff history to score that many and also rush for over 200 yards.
Coleman had six carries for 21 yards before getting hurt and carted off 9 minutes before halftime. He was coming off a 105-yard two-touchdown effort in the 49ers’ playoff opener against Minnesota.
Although Coleman started Sunday night and did so 11 times in the regular season, the 49ers have mostly relied on Mostert in his breakout season. Coleman was their third-leading rusher (544 yards) behind Mostert (772) and Matt Breida (623).
OTHER HEALTH CONCERNS
Safety Jaquiski Tartt irritated a Dec. 1 rib fracture and did not sustain any new damage, Shanahan said, adding: “He’s got to deal with some pain, I’m sure, this week. But it’s nice the game is two weeks away.”
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw sustained an ankle injury and was cleared to return to Sunday’s game but was held out as a precaution.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
The 49ers reconvened Monday and reviewed film from their victory, then came a meeting with players and coaches to review Super Bowl tickets and logistics. The rest of the week will unfold per their typical routine: Tuesdays is the players’ day off ahile coaches craft their game plan, then they will practice and meet Wednesday through Friday. They will have Saturday off before flying Sunday to Miami and check into their downtown hotel.
Shanahan said the media obligations next week threaten to get the 49ers out of their routine so he’s emphasized getting their game plan all set this week. “You don’t want to play catch up in Super Bowl week,” said Shanahan, noting Dan Quinn’s lead with the 2016 Atlanta Falcons’ Super Bowl run in terms of preparation.
CELEBRATION CENTRAL
Shanahan celebrated Sunday night at his house with family and friends from high school and college. “It took a while to get out of here and it took a while to calm down from the excitement of the night,” Shanahan said. “But it was nice to hang out at the house, reminisce on a bunch of things. Usually people were making fun of me most of the times, and I was making fun of them back.”
Shanahan attended Saratoga High School when the 49ers won their last Super Bowl 25 years ago, and that link makes this Super Bowl run special.
“If you told me this when I was in middle school, I would have thought this was a dream come true,” Shanahan said. “When you get in the NFL, you stop thinking about that stuff because there are 32 teams and you’re doing whatever you can to get that opportunity. The way everything worked out, it’s pretty special.”
LESSON FOR ALL ATHLETES
Shanahan capped his media session with a strong message about athletics:
“Hall of Fame quarterbacks, Hall of Fame coaches, it doesn’t matter, no one has gone perfect in this league and everyone is going to make huge mistakes in front of a lot of people. That’s what sports is about. That is what athletes go through.
“Athletes have a great life. They work hard, get paid very well, they’re playing a cool game. But they’re also going to get judged by everybody in what they do, and that’s just part of it.
“You have to have thick skin. You have to not mind being judged, because you’re out here. You’re good at what you do and you’re going to have times that you’re bad. The more you can call yourself out, the more you can call each other people, the more people take their sensitivity away, like, ‘Alright, he’s right. We all mess up sometimes. Let’s just work on getting better.”
