As the 49ers lifted the burden of a winless season off their shoulders with a victory over the New York Giants, two players carried their own personal burdens on after Sunday’s win. While appearing on Murph & Mac Friday morning, head coach Kyle Shanahan praised the courage and emotional toughness of tackle Joe Staley and wide receiver Marquise Goodwin.
“I was proud that the guys made that decision,” Shanahan said. “It’s something that you don’t want them to do just for you or anything or because they’re supposed to for their coach or something like that. You want them to do it for their teammates and they believe that it’s right.”
After breaking his eye socket during the 49ers’ Week 8 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, Staley had more of an excuse than anyone to sit out against the Giants. Nonetheless, Staley missed only one week before returning to face New York, despite his eye not being fully healed.
“[Staley] didn’t have to play in that game and no one knows how his orbital feels and he has every excuse in the world not to play in that game,” For him to go out of his way and try to get himself back in there, that’s just how he plays. The guys see him dressed up and going after that game, what he puts into it shows everyone else where we’re at and what it takes to win.
Although Goodwin has managed to relatively healthy this season, he played the Giants with a broken heart. The morning before Sunday’s game, Goodwin mourned the death of his son, who experienced some complications during birth and died prematurely.
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Regardless, Goodwin suited up against the Giants and ended up scoring the 49ers’ first touchdown of the game.
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“For Marquise, I heard about it first thing that morning and I knew how much he’d struggled with that throughout the week and the possibility of it happening,” Shanahan said. “He played a hell of a game and it would have been tough to win without him.”
To listen to the full interview check out the podcast below, and skip to 2:12 for Shanahan on Staley and Goodwin.
