It’s been an eventful offseason for San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. But one NFL rule is giving him a new enemy to focus on.
Speaking to the media this week, Shanahan complained about the NFL mandating what hat he’s allowed to wear during games. He said that he’s been informed that he can’t wear old hats that he likes.
“I have such beef with them right now,” Shanahan said, via Sports Illustrated. “…It’s a tough issue going on. They won’t let me pick out my own one. They won’t let me wear any one that’s from a [previous] year, so I can’t wear like an older one. I’ve got to wear the new ones that they give this year. Unfortunately, there’s none I like wearing. So hopefully, we can figure it out or wait till Salute to Service.”
Shanahan wouldn’t specify who he’s spoken to that is prohibiting from wearing his preferred hats. But he is upset about it even if he doesn’t intend to fight it.
“It’s just deals. I don’t want to go too hard and get fined or anything but trust me, trust me, I’m upset about it,” Shanahan added.
The NFL has cracked down on head coaches and their wardrobe choices before. Since 1993, the league has mandated that coaches where team-branded clothing on the sidelines.
Gone are the days where coaches like Tom Landry and Vince Lombardi will wear a full suit and tie on the sidelines. Now you’ll be lucky to find a coach wearing so much as a button-down shirt.
For Kyle Shanahan, that goes for his choice of headwear too.