While the Seahawks may still be celebrating their Super Bowl LX win, the clock is already ticking on next season for their division rivals, the San Francisco 49ers. For the 49ers team, the offseason isn’t about rest; it’s a race against time. And before the front office even looks at the draft board, franchise legend Steve Young has a stark warning about what it will take to get over the Super Bowl hump.

“We’re in that transition period, but we need five to 10 rookie contracted stars, like people who are above average in different positions,” Young said on The Rich Eisen Show.

“And we have the makings for this year’s draft classes, but maybe some guys growing into it, and then we need more… And then if we get that, we have some; we have the pillars of people that are not too old, that can still thrive, that can lead us there as long as they stay healthy. But we just have to find those because that’s what Seattle’s done, right? That’s what the Rams have done.”

Young’s point makes sense because San Francisco currently owns the oldest roster in the NFL, with an average age of 27.4 as per Spotrac. That reality showed up during the 2024 season, as the Niners battled constant injuries and visibly faded late, ultimately stumbling through an unsuccessful playoff push.

Because of that, the 2025 NFL Draft feels like a turning point. Young believes the structure is already there and just needs fresh energy injected into it.

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“We have the superstructure, we have the leadership, we have the coaching, we have the innovation… We are built for it to be in the mix… No matter what, we will be in the mix, but to take it, take it away from everybody, we’re going to need those rookie contracted guys to come in, and it’d be great,” Young added.

And a few days ago, general manager John Lynch also echoed the same mindset.

“You can’t just keep pressing the pedal, and I think there’s some good that could come out,” Lynch said. “We need to get younger. I think we’re the oldest team in football trying to make a run at the deal last year. And I think it’s good to constantly get younger. Our draft class last year was a great move towards that.”

At the same time, finances complicate everything. According to Over The Cap, San Francisco sits 13th in active cap spending at $243.97 million and fourth in dead money at $34.97 million.

So, Lynch, coach Kyle Shanahan, and the entire San Francisco organization have major decisions ahead.

Kyle Shanahan leans on family history while chasing Super Bowl breakthrough

Despite three painful Super Bowl losses on his resume, San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan does not sound defeated. Instead, while working as a guest analyst on NBC’s Super Bowl LX pregame show, Shanahan chose perspective over frustration. In doing so, he pointed to his father, Mike Shanahan, who also endured three early Super Bowl defeats before finally breaking through and then winning titles in bunches.

“I’ve been able to be in nine of these [Super Bowls], and six of them with my dad,” Kyle said.

“I went to three on my own. I just look at it as he got blown out in his first three, and then he won his next three… I’ve got my three losses out of the way, and when we get Fred [Warner] back healthy, I got three wins in front of me.”

Kyle Shanahan has yet to lift the Lombardi Trophy, falling short in Super Bowl LI against the Patriots while calling plays for the Falcons. Later, as the Niners’ head coach, he came up empty in Super Bowl LIV and Super Bowl LVIII, both losses coming at the hands of the Chiefs.

Still, the comparison to his father carries weight. Mike Shanahan lost Super Bowl XXI to the Giants and Super Bowl XXII to Washington while coordinating the Broncos’ offense. He then suffered another defeat in Super Bowl XXIV against San Francisco as Denver’s quarterback coach. However, he flipped the script by winning Super Bowl XXIX with the 49ers and later capturing Super Bowl XXXII and Super Bowl XXXIII as the Broncos’ head coach.

Coming back to Kyle, in the 2025 season, he guided the Niners to a 12-5 record and a playoff spot. They secured a narrow 23-19 victory over the Eagles as the No. 6 seed in the wild-card round, but then the Seahawks overwhelmed them 41-6 in the divisional round.

So now, time will tell if Kyle Shanahan can mirror his father’s path and turn early heartbreak into lasting championship glory.