San Francisco 49ers: 10 best quarterbacks in franchise history
By Bobby Horne
49ers All-Time Quarterback No. 2: Steve Young
1987-1999
Steve Young had the daunting task of taking over for a Hall of Fame quarterback in Joe Montana after joining the 49ers in 1987, then playing sporadically behind Montana in what was an awkward back-and-forth deployment by legendary head coach Bill Walsh.
In Young’s first couple seasons, he was often criticized on his play, even by his own teammates. He was seen as a “wild” man, and was so much different from Montana.
It wasn’t until 1992 that Young started his first full season. That’s when he started to flourish, throwing for 3,465 yards, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Two years later, Young led the Niners to Super Bowl XXIX, beating the San Diego Chargers and cementing himself as an elite quarterback, setting numerous playoff records in the process. Young was named the Super Bowl’s Most Valuable Player and became the first quarterback to lead his team in a Super Bowl in both yards passing and rushing.
Young played 13 seasons with the 49ers, starting in 124 games and finishing with an impressive 91-33 record. He won three Super Bowls (one as a starter) and was named All-Pro three times.
Young was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005 and has his jersey number retired by the 49ers.