How Sherman believes 49ers can keep title window open after 2024 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Even though the 49ers’ 2024 NFL season isn’t officially over, their chances of making another Super Bowl run, let alone securing a playoff spot, are microscopic.
While many outside the organization believe this was the final year of San Francisco’s championship run, former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman disagrees, even if/when the 49ers (5-7) are eliminated in the coming weeks playoffs.
Sherman was asked by co-host Mitch Eisenstein on the latest episode of “The Richard Sherman Podcast” about the status of San Francisco’s championship window last season, and explained how he believes it can remain open going forward.
“I don’t know if this will be the end, it’s going to be a real, real challenge going forward, and it’s going to be up to the scouting department and the front office in which they have a lot of people,” Sherman explained.
“… And this is going to be their biggest challenge this year to find some young guys that can fill those holes. You’re going to have to find some young offensive linemen that have to play at a really high level. They have a right guard inside [Dominick] I think Puni will be around for a while, but you’ll probably have to find another center. I’m not sure [Jake] Brendel is the long-term answer. You’ll probably have to find another young left guard to compete at that spot. You’ll have to find an heir apparent for Trent Williams for when he decides to retire and hang it up.”
Ultimately, Sherman believes that the top half of the 49ers’ roster is too talented to rebuild, and that the team needs more depth behind its star players to offset injuries and prepare for the departure of older veterans .
“That’s going to have to be it. I don’t think the window is closed, I think this is too talented a team and I know everyone wants to say you’re either Super Bowl or you’re out of business or you’re not. [a Super Bowl team]but there’s too much talent on this team for that to be,” Sherman added. “Now they need to find more depth, they need to find more under the superstars so this team can be more consistent, because so they’re top-heavy.
“When you lose one or two guys, it goes off the rails so quickly on both sides of the football. When you lose Christian McCaffrey, you lose him for a while, you found Jordan Mason, so that helped. Now It’s fine. But then you lose Brandon Aiyuk and you lose a lot of your offense pushing the ball down the field, and now it seems like you don’t understand how to push the ball down the field fill spot Then you lose Trent Williams and all of you offensive line looks different.”
After an ugly 35-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night at Highmark Stadium, the 49ers are two games behind the Seattle Seahawks (7-5) for first place in the NFC West and 2.5 games behind the Washington Commanders ( 8-5). 5) for the third and final wildcard spot.
The 49ers’ path back to the playoffs is not impossible, but not likely. And if San Francisco’s offseason does indeed begin as early as Jan. 5 at approximately 1 p.m. PT following its Week 18 game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sherman believes coach Kyle Shanahan and president of football operations/general manager John Lynch have their work cut out for them . them.
“I think they’re going to have to show that they can develop and develop more depth for this team to get back to where they need to be next season, but I don’t think it’s over,” Sherman concluded.
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