Falcons' Kyle Shanahan Briefly Loses Backpack With Super Bowl Game Plan Inside

HOUSTON (CBSNewYork) -- Kyle Shanahan committed what could have proven to be an extremely costly turnover Monday night.

As the Atlanta Falcons' media session wrapped up during Opening Night, formerly known as media day, the offensive coordinator discovered his backpack, which had the team's Super Bowl LI game plan inside, had gone missing, setting off a frantic half-hour search at Minute Maid Park.

"I've got to find it," Shanahan told USA Today as he hunted for the bag.

It turns out the backpack was picked up by San Francisco Examiner columnist Art Spander, mistaking it for his own. The 78-year-old sports writer said he didn't realize he had Shanahan's bag until he was contacted by a fellow writer.

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He returned the backpack to the coach with its valuable contents undisturbed.

"I've screwed up before, but I've never picked up the wrong bag," Spander told USA Today. "And there's no way I'd have a game plan."

Shanahan and Spander will likely have a chance to laugh about the incident very soon back in California, as Shanahan is expected to be named the San Francisco 49ers' head coach next week.