The San Francisco 49ers made plenty of changes to the roster this offseason, including the addition of 11 players at this year's NFL draft.
Not everyone is a believer in the changes the team made, however.
Franchise legend and Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice was asked for his thoughts on the 49ers' upcoming season and the moves they made in the offseason, and he admitted he's skeptical about their ability to contend in 2025.
"I just feel like we added on too many pieces," Rice told Cam Inman of The Mercury News while at the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament. "The reason why I say that is these guys are young guys. Super Bowl 60 is going to be here in San Francisco. I would have preferred to sort of leave everything like last year, add on to that, and have a chance for this coming year."
Rice expressed some doubt about the ability for the young players to quickly jell with their new teammates, and noted that while he'll always be rooting for the Niners, he's not as confident as he'd like to be heading into the new campaign.
"A lot of young guys. Now, can Kyle Shanahan pull it together and can these guys jell? We have to wait and see," Rice said. "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.”
Among the key departures for the 49ers this offseason include wide receiver Deebo Samuel, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, cornerback Charvarius Ward, and safety Talanoa Hufanga.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jerry Rice Explains What Concerns Him Most About 49ers for 2025 Season.
