Kyle Shanahan’s offseason plan for the San Francisco 49ers just got a dose of unsolicited, high-profile advice from a franchise legend. While the 49ers retained their coaching staff, this NFL legend believes the real changes need to happen on the field, starting with two bold offensive moves and a tough decision at quarterback.

“Linderbaum is is a great pickup, but I also have concerns about why Baltimore let him walk,” Sherman quoted in a recent episode of his podcast. “You gotta do your due diligence and figure out why would they let a 25-year-old three-time Pro Bowler inform a first-round pick to get out the building because rarely are those guys available. And for that reason they’re dependable. They’re durable. They’re what you expect them to be. And you’re going to be paying a high price tag with the injury history of the San Francisco 49ers. You’ve got to make sure you you make sure you open every door.”

Shanahan currently has a big decision to make ahead of the 2026 season. He can either sign a contract with Jauan Jennings or try to pursue the Baltimore Ravens’ center, Tyler Linderbaum. While the team has a keen interest in the latter, Sherman’s concerns seem genuine, questioning if the Ravens would actually let him go with only a few quality centers available.

Tyler Linderbaum signed a four-year rookie contract with the Baltimore Ravens worth about $13.24 million (approximately $3.3 million per year) after being selected 25th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. However, Baltimore declined his fifth-year option in 2025. This means he has already played on the final year of his contract in 2025. Now, Linderbaum is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March 2026 if he doesn’t sign a long-term extension with the Ravens before then.

However, retaining Linderbaum will not come at a low price. The market for centers has grown rapidly, and his next deal could reset the financial scales. The Ravens must weigh the cost of a long-term extension against the risk of losing a foundational player.

Along with that, Sherman also suggested that Shanahan should let wide receiver Jauan Jennings test free agency and see if he gets a profitable deal. “What does he Get on the open market and I think you allow him to explore that. I think you keep the phone lines open,” he added.

Previously, Jennings signed a two-year, $15.39 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers in 2024. This included about $10.54 million in guaranteed money and a roughly $6.21 million signing bonus. The deal runs through the 2025 season, and the team later restructured his 2025 pay with play-time incentives, raising his potential earnings to about $10.5 million for that year.

Sherman’s verdict, though justified, wasn’t limited to just the wide receiver. He also had a suggestion for the quarterback position and didn’t back down from pointing to Mac Jones.

Richard Sherman suggests that Kyle Shanahan walk into the trade window for Mac Jones

The 2025 season saw limited results from Mac Jones. Appearing in 11 games throughout the season, he settled in for 13 touchdowns against 6 interceptions. While talking about the QB, Sherman suggested that Kyle Shanahan should explore the market and see what he could make of a Mac Jones deal. Making things easier, he also named two teams that could end up giving a reliable wide receiver amid their need for a quarterback.

“I think you can find receivers, and maybe they use Mac Jones to help them find their number one receiver in some way,” Sherman said. “Maybe there’s a lot of quarterback-needy teams, and we already mentioned the Minnesota Vikings, but the New York Jets like hey, is Wilson (Garrett) available, can we get a Mac Jones and a pick for Wilson. That’s the conversation you’re going to have to ask.”

The statistical leader in overall receiving yards was the running back Christian McCaffrey, who led the entire team with 924 receiving yards on 102 catches and 7 touchdowns. This highlighted a massive gap in the team’s passing game, while clarifying that they lacked a reliable wide receiver.

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While the free agency decisions are yet to be made, it still remains to be seen if the head coach draws any reference from these calls.