Understandably, his friends in the present freak out when they realize something is wrong.
Spotting an elderly Steve sitting by a nearby lake, Bucky quietly tells Sam Wilson to go see him.
That’s when Steve passes the shield to a shocked Sam, who eventually agrees to continue fighting for what Steve spent so many years protecting.
Anyway, there are multiple routes Kevin Feige and the Russos could’ve taken, but they decided on one that felt fitting for Cap in his current emotional state.