Steve Young named 49th greatest player of all-time by The Athletic
I know that some of you are tired of the coverage of the 49ers’ quarterback performance so far in training camp. I am nothing if not fair, so in lieu of another post about how Trey Lance is slowly but surely chipping away at Jimmy Garoppolo’s hold on the starting job, I thought I’d pass along a little bit of love for one of my favorite players of all-time: Steve Young.
(Full disclosure there’s also a ton of Trey Lance/Jimmy G. stuff in today’s Stats & Eggs podcast).
The Athletic has been counting down the 100 greatest players in NFL history, and Young landed at number 49 on their list. How fitting.
The story itself is full of memories about Steve’s legendary scramble against the Vikings, and the famous pass to Terrell Owens that ultimately got Mike Holmgren fired as head coach of the Packers. There’s even a nugget in there about a fascinating team Young could have played for after his time in San Francisco – definitely worth your time.
I continue to maintain that Steve Young would absolutely dominate today’s game given his combination of mobility and accuracy. He ended up being so great as a pocket passer that people often don’t remember what a weapon his legs were back in the day. When I was working at ESPN Radio in the early 2000s, I once had a conversation about Young with Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter. Without batting an eye, Carter told me unequivocally that Steve Young was faster than he was.
I know I said I wasn’t going to make this post about Trey Lance, but I can’t help but wonder if Kyle Shanahan has tried to connect his new quarterback with his dad’s old quarterback. Surely Lance could benefit from Young’s wisdom, and Steve may even be able to offer some words of advice about waiting behind an incumbent starter before you get the job.
Food for thought.