Richard Sherman is Right about the 49ers' Biggest Roster Concerns

Richard Sherman isn't afraid to address these key issues.

Nov 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Thursday Night Football announce Richard Sherman during pregame show between Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Former 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman has addressed the elephant in the room when it comes to the team's current roster.

And honestly, he’s not wrong. This could become a real problem if the Niners go through another injury-filled season like in 2024.

Sherman identifies the 49ers' two biggest worries

Dec 8, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Richard Sherman on the Prime Video Thursday Night Football set at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Sherman points to roster durability and offensive line performance as the key factors that will define San Francisco’s 2025 season.

For yet another season, the 49ers have one of the worst offensive lines in the league, which is a worrying sign if legendary figure Trent Williams picks up an injury.

We saw firsthand the devastating effects if he’s forced to miss games, especially since he allowed only one sack in his 10 starts in 2024.

It wasn't just Williams' injury that destroyed the 49ers last season, though. Christian McCaffrey was injured. Ricky Pearsall got shot. Everything else that could go wrong did go wrong.

"It's going to come down to how healthy they can be and that offensive line," Sherman said on his show titled The Richard Sherman Podcast. "The same issues that have presented themselves for the last few years are the same issues that are still there. They've shown enough success in the run game to get that respect and to think, 'Hey, it's going to be fine.' They're going to be able to run the football. Christian McCaffrey is going to find the holes. They're going to be fine there.

"But can everybody outside of Trent Williams hold up and pass [protect] and protect Brock Purdy and give him the time to be the efficient quarterback that he has been when he's protected and he's got time to deal? He's a really effective quarterback, but no quarterback is effective when he gets pressure or pocket collapses. And that's been the Achilles heel of this offense. And that was the Achilles heel of this offense last year."

The offensive line could define their season... again

Aug 9, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Trent Williams (71) watches from the sideline in the first quarter against the Denver Broncos at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

After the official announcement of the 53-man roster on Tuesday, 49ers on SI ranked the offensive line a Grade C.

Realistically, this ranking is largely influenced by Williams’ excellence, but the team needs more players to step up.

Dominick Puni is unquestionably the second-best player in the ten-man list, but this alone won't help quarterback Brock Purdy unless both are injury-free.

In 2023, the 49ers reached the Super Bowl with both Williams and Purdy staying healthy. In 2024, without Williams, Purdy struggled more to convert plays a lot more. The stats speak for themselves.

The issue isn’t with Purdy but with the front office’s failure to adequately reinforce the offensive line, particularly when their sole draft selection this offseason was seventh-round pick Connor Colby.

Read More