“I talked about how the season ended the year before, and how when I felt them all come back. I felt guys weren’t ready to come back and I understood that. But I told them how I really won’t understand it this year, not that that was right or wrong, but I couldn’t comprehend it.” With five extra weeks added to their timeline this year, 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan was notably optimistic about 2025. He’s prepping the team for what could be an explosive season. And history certainly plays in their favor. Every time the franchise had an almost-but Super Bowl story, the year after that was one riddled with spectacular losses. But then they came back stronger, hungrier. But former Niners WR Jerry Rice isn’t buying into the optimism swirling with his old team.
After a 12-5 season in ‘23, the numbers dipped massively to a 6-11 last season. That losing record made Shanahan hit reset. In the process, many veterans had to walk away to make space for QB Brock Purdy’s massive contract. Rebuilding the roster was the need of the hour. With a significant chunk of the roster out in free agency, the Niners drafted 11 picks this year across the board. And with so many new faces in the team, Rice believes a time for wins could still be far off for Shanahan.
For Jerry Rice, the best course of action would have been to keep the status quo with the roster and build around it. That would have given the team the best chance for Super Bowl 60. As Rice put it in an interview, “A lot of young guys. Now, can Kyle Shanahan pull it together and can these guys jell? We have to wait and see. But there’s this big question mark if it’s going to work. – I’m always going to go Niners no matter what. But we’re bringing in so many young players, It’s going to take a while for that team to jell. If it doesn’t happen this year, then maybe the next couple of years.” Rice’s concerns aren’t just about the young blood trying to find synergy in the roster, though. He’s also worried about one of the Niners’ star receivers, Brandon Aiyuk, coming off injuries.
NFL, American Football Herren, USA San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals Jan 5, 2025 Glendale, Arizona, USA San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy right and head coach Kyle Shanahan left look on the in second half against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Glendale State Farm Stadium Arizona USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMattxKartozianx 20250105_pjc_ak4_323
Having gone through ACL/MCL injuries during his time, Rice understands the pressure Aiyuk will face to make a strong comeback. Aiyuk, recovering from a knee injury himself, is reportedly coming back ahead of schedule. The Niners expect a Week 1 return for him, but Rice’s advice on Aiyuk’s return is simple. “Don’t rush it.” As Rice further added in the interview, “He’s going to want to prove to everyone, ‘Hey look, I’m back.’ It’s going to take some time for him… I’d rely on those other guys to do most of the work and just blend him back in.” Aiyuk’s slow start to the season would be a big question mark for the offense trying to ball out under Purdy this year.
RB Christian McCaffrey’s performance this season will also play a big role in the offense. After a season riddled with injuries, Shanahan believes he’s “ready as any player,” but Rice’s cautious approach is also applicable to McAffrey. Shanahan, for one, has faced a whole host of criticism for game management and handling injuries so far. And with Robert Saleh coming into a powerful role, there are further concerns surrounding Shanahan’s future with the 49ers.
Robert Saleh’s rise to overshadow Kyle Shanahan?
The 49ers’ defense ranked below the middle last season. Standing at the 19th spot out of 32, a coaching reset was also needed for the team to rebuild. This marked the return of Robert Saleh as the DC for the team. Saleh already has a reputation for turning defenses into dominant units. As Rice’s doubts around the young players linger, Saleh could be the answer to the defensive problems once and for all. Even Rice admitted, “I feel like you win championships with defense. Maybe that’s why they brought Robert back. If that defense can get rolling like it did the last couple of years when he was around, I think we have a legitimate chance.” But a defensive turnaround isn’t all that’s cooking for Saleh in the backend.
With Saleh’s arrival in San Francisco, there could be an eventual takeover in the works. With Shanahan struggling to get wins and facing criticism, Alex Frankel and Grant Cohn believe it’s Saleh for the win. As Frankel put it recently, “I still think that the secret plan behind closed doors… is that Saleh is going to take over the team. – Especially with all those rookies on that defense. If Saleh can turn them into a productive defense, and Kyle Shanahan still seems burnt out and out of ideas despite having an extra month of an offseason…” Even Cohn shared his concern, stating that if the defense outperforms the offense this year, it doesn’t paint Shanahan in the best light.
On one hand, there’s a wave of optimism swirling around Saleh to turn around the defense, even with the rookies. On the other hand, if Shanahan is “burnt out” from coaching and fails to bring offensive glory, then the writings on the wall get harder to ignore for him. Will Shanahan be able to turn things around in his 9th year as the Niners’ HC? Or will it be Saleh’s dominance that gets him the crown and HC spot in the coming years?
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