Why Morale is the Top Story of 49ers Training Camp
![Jul 27, 2023; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ronnie Bell (10) and members of the offensive squad huddle between drills during training camp at the SAP Performance Facility. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports Jul 27, 2023; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ronnie Bell (10) and members of the offensive squad huddle between drills during training camp at the SAP Performance Facility. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5500,h_3093,x_0,y_367/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_49ers/01j3e2pbwk2m290gc6ny.jpg)
Last year, the top story at 49ers training camp was Brock Purdy's rapid recover from UCL surgery and the backup quarterback competition between Sam Darnold and Trey Lance.
This year, so much more is at stake.
Position battles still matter and the rookies always are intriguing, but the 49ers just lost another Super Bowl. It's their second Super Bowl loss under head coach Kyle Shanahan. How will they respond? What will their morale be like?
Last year, their morale was incredibly high. They believed they would have won the NFC Championship game the previous season if Brock Purdy had stayed healthy and they were determined to prove that. And they did.
This year they have to prove they won't fall victim to the Super Bowl hangover.
Just look at the Eagles last year. They were coming off a Super Bowl loss, and they were mentally fragile all season. One bad loss to the 49ers completely sunk them. Will one bad loss sink the 49ers?
They're already starting training camp with drama. Brandon Aiyuk is expected to hold out because the 49ers haven't offered him a contract extension that he feels is fair. Will his absence affect the rest of the team?
Do the players still believe in Kyle Shanahan or do they begin to tune him out? Very few head coaches are effective with one team for more than seven seasons, and Shanahan is entering his eighth with the 49ers. And he just lost the Super Bowl partially because he didn't seem to know the playoff rules of overtime. So how does the team respond to him this year? Does he fall apart like Eagles head coach Nick Siriannia fell apart last season?
Stay tuned.