Kyle Shanahan dodged a bullet—literally. The 49ers’ head coach just survived a catastrophic car accident, and now we’re discovering from his close friend, Chris Simms, that he was teetering on the edge of a life-altering injury. But how are the mainstream outlets covering this? Are they even framing this in a way that respects the gravity of the situation? Spoiler alert: absolutely not.

ESPN and Sports Illustrated are already laying it on thick with sympathetic coverage, complete with tear-jerking anecdotes, but let’s be real here. This isn’t just a sob story; it’s a blatant opportunity for emotional narrative spinning. They’re pushing the idea of a “heroic return” without asking the tough questions about the surrounding circumstances. What kind of safeguards do sports teams have in place for their top leaders? What’s really at stake beyond the field?

Fox Sports fumbles the ball too, focusing excessively on the heartfelt camaraderie between Shanahan and Simms instead of examining why the accident happened in the first place. This is the kind of lazy journalism that thrives in a clickbait culture. In reality, this harrowing experience should be a wake-up call about safety and responsibility, not just fodder for emotional social media posts.

Let’s demand more from our sports media. Shanahan’s story is a stark reminder that there are real-world implications behind the glamour of the game—issues that go far deeper than a quick headline. The real narrative deserves attention, so let’s not let it drown in a sea of clichés.