Read the full transcript from HC Jeff Hafley 's postgame media availability on September 16, 2026.
How tough of a decision was it for the medical team on whether to go with IR for Kyle?
Jeff Hafley: Just the time that we thought that he would be back in and we're hopeful that he'll be back, it just made sense. So I don't think it was a very hard decision. We'll certainly miss him. As you know I saw him playing more in that second half and obviously a big part of our special teams, but we're hopeful he'll be back.
Did the Week 6 bye have anything to do with it, basically giving him that extra week?
Jeff Hafley: I just think again it's a time frame of when we think he'll be ready to play. It was the best decision for our team right now.
What can you tell us about the cornerback Jaylin Simpson who was added?
Jeff Hafley: Had him in Green Bay. We really liked him in the draft. I remember watching him coming out of Auburn, played safety, played nickel, played corner, very physical. He actually started for us against Minnesota late in the season last year, so I got a chance to see him. I know what he's all about. I know his makeup. He's a tough player. He loves football. He's gotten stronger since the last time I've seen him, and I'm excited that he'll have an opportunity.
As you broke down Malik Willis's overall game, first time out in the regular season for this team, what were some of your takeaways?
Jeff Hafley: I mean, I think I kind of covered that in the last two press conferences. I'm excited to see what he can do this week and take a step.
His connection with Caleb Douglas really seems to shine. What made that unique kind of throughout OTAs and camp to then show in Game 1?
Jeff Hafley: I mean I think we saw it in camp. I think we saw it in the preseason games and I just think he's been a consistent player that he trusts and he's going to continue to try to get him the ball.
You talked about the benefits of having your guys together here on a trip like this. Have you started to see some of the fruits of that?
Jeff Hafley: Yeah, it's actually pretty cool. The set up – our operations staff has done a great job, it is outstanding. There's a big courtyard with a pool, there's games set up, there's fire pits. All the meeting spaces are tight. So guys are spending extra time with their coaches and then they're sitting out by the fire talking, they're playing ping pong. It's like being on a college campus and everybody's kind of going back to their dorms at the end of the night – certainly they're a lot nicer than dorm rooms. Guys are sitting and playing cards at 8 o'clock when I'm walking out, sitting in the meal room for longer and just spending more time together. I think for a young team this week is very important. I think it's a big connection piece, getting to know their teammates, getting to know some of the new guys that we brought in. But I'm really happy with the decision.
One of the things I was asking the guys, I know it's young guys, it's their first game, their first experience, but bottom line, you got to win, you got to feel that it was a loss. Do you sense that for some of those young guys, it hit them really hard?
Jeff Hafley: I think any time you play a game with these competitors it's always going to hit them hard. I think you got to, after 24 hours, get rid of that and figure out how to get better. And I think we talk about our process and as long as that process is right and they're doing everything they can to improve, that's really important and that's going to be a big step this week against a really good team.
What would you say is unique about Christian McCaffrey?
Jeff Hafley: One, he's a great runner. He can hit explosives. He's got big play capability. He's strong. He has good contact balance. The threat of him out of the backfield is, I mean, it's kind of like our guy, you got to know where he is. He can catch the ball. He can run routes. He can do it all. I think he's one of the best backs in this league and I have a ton of respect for him.
How difficult is their offense considering they pretty much have a threat at every level? Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, just in terms of difficult to stop in that many weapons.
Jeff Hafley: It makes it a big challenge, right? And then you combine that with, in my opinion, one of the best play callers in all the game. You know it's funny, even looking back, think about a lot of these guys were there when I was there back in '18. So it's the same guys in the same system with the same coach and they brought some guys back and added some weapons. But it will be a big challenge. I have a ton of respect for all those players and obviously Kyle (Shanahan).
What about that Niners organization – just how they run the building, how they run the team stuck with you since your time there?
Jeff Hafley: Yeah, great question. I've kind of mentioned this before and this was the biggest lasting impression for me as a younger coach when I left the Niners, John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan coming in together, being aligned. It kind of sent a message to me if I ever get a chance to do this, I want it to be like that, I want it to be somebody that I'm aligned with. When I came in and John Lynch, who, one of the best football players, a Hall of Fame football player, but you want to talk about a good guy? He's one of the best human beings of all time. Combine that with Kyle, I just think it's such a great fit. And remember, we were 0-9. Kyle's first season, I'm there, we started off 0-9, we won a bunch of games. And next year, I think we won four or five games. In year three, they went to the Super Bowl. So he had a process. And Kyle's a huge influence on me and I truly believe he's one of the reasons that I'm here right now. A great coach, great friend, but I've learned so much from him. And seeing him stick to the process and hold people to a standard during two really hard years and building it the right way and not flinching, and him and John just being like this (clasps hands together). I think that has stuck with me. And that's, you look at us now, I'm not saying by any means that we're going to start that way, but Sully and I together, trying to build this thing the right way, Kyle kind of gave me the blueprint for that.
We talked to a bunch of players last week about playing football and said, "your 12-year-old self, what would you tell your person now?" Do you think coming out here on the high school field gives them a "man, this is football"?
Jeff Hafley: I hope so. I think these are good examples of this is pure right here. Probably the purest that there is in all football right now, high school football. Some of my best memories are still from the people that you played with and you step on a field like this and this is a beautiful facility that they put us in, so we're grateful that they're allowing us to be here. But hopefully some of the guys, sometimes you got to take a step back and realize how fortunate we are to do what we're doing, even myself. Like standing here right now brings back a lot of memories and hopefully these guys realize how lucky that they are.
What's the next step for Chris Bell? Obviously, getting him on the field is monumental. But where is he in the development in terms of knowing the offense, comfort?
Jeff Hafley: I think he's a guy that he started late, I mean, he missed all OTAs, he missed most of training camp. So this is still the development process of him of learning the scheme, being confident because sometimes, if you haven't done it a whole lot, you're not playing as free, you're not playing as fast. He's got to build his confidence and I think the more we go, the better you'll see him be, but he flashed in that last game. He had the catch across the middle. There was a couple shots he had on down the field and putting DBs on the ground. I just I think with Chris, and even a lot of these rookies, but even more so with Chris it's just a little bit of patience. I mean he's ahead of schedule with his knee, probably playing sooner than we thought he would, and now we're counting on him. So just excited for him and I'm not going to put any expectations on him. I like where he's at right now.
Is it easy to stay in the moment or do you ever catch yourself like thinking, "wow, these guys down the line could be, man, in week 18 or in Year 2, I'm excited to see what they are"?
Jeff Hafley: I got to stay in the moment. Easier said than done, right? Today's about today. Today's about our preparation. I know that's a whole bunch of coach talk, but at the same time, just even meeting with the players last night, being around them today, I love the guys that we have and I love their attitude and I love their ownership and I love how much they want to grow and get better. We've got the right people in the building right now and that really excites me, but we have to get better today. And that was my message to the team. I understand who we're playing and I understand all these players that we're about to play against. This game is going to be about us taking a step forward. And I really mean that, that's not coach talk. We got to have a great practice today, better than we did last week. We have to learn how to practice the right way and that's my job today to get that done.
And in terms of performance, you mean like execution, understanding of assignments?
Jeff Hafley: Absolutely. It's got to be execution, and it's got to be all 11 at the same time. It's about, your job right now is do your one-eleventh, right? And if we can do all that at the same time, we're going to be consistent in our execution. I showed the guys this morning there were a handful of plays where all 11 were on the same page, and we were really efficient. But when one guy's off or two guys are off, it doesn't work, right? So yeah, we are young, and we have some guys that are still learning, but we've got to master our one-eleventh. And the only way to do that is to come out here and practice every single day and get better.
