With the release of the new Rise of the 49ers documentary, fans have gotten to go back in time and reminisce on the glory days of the franchise. While San Francisco won a lot of championships in that 13-year span from 1982 to 1995, that period certainly was not without strife.
That 49ers era gave birth to the biggest quarterback controversy in franchise history between Joe Montana and Steve Young. Montana was considered one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and had delivered the franchise two Super Bowls, but some major injuries raised questions about his durability and led to head coach Bill Walsh bringing in Young.
Both players have spoken about the awkwardness of that time plenty over the years, but it is clear that Montana still feels some hurt over the way his tenure with the team ended.
He had the following to say in a recent interview:
"We had just won two Super Bowls in a row... we were headed to three in a row. I had one of the best statistical years of my career and he wouldn’t even let me compete for a job... I said I was not gonna sit here on the bench. That’s not how I pictured finishing my career."
Montana is referring to the 1990 season when the Niners were looking to three-peat, but he went down with an injury in the NFC Championship game against the New York Giants, and San Francisco lost the game in heartbreaking fashion.
After that, Young became the primary guy in San Francisco, and Montana ended up being traded to the Kansas City Chiefs.
There are so many interesting "what if?" scenarios from that decade. What if Walsh had never brought in Young and just stuck with Montana through all of his injuries? Would Montana have been motivated enough to do what he did in 1988 and 1989 without that fire lit under him by his coach? Would the Niners have remained relevant in the '90s without Young?
What if Montana doesn't get hurt in that championship game against the Giants, and the Niners go on to win that Super Bowl? Maybe San Francisco ends up trading away Young rather than Montana.
Even if 49ers fans could go back in time and change things, when a franchise wins five Super Bowls, it is probably best not to mess with anything.
There isn't any bitterness from Joe, but his consistent answers over the years about how his time in San Francisco ended show that he wasn't a fan of the forced dynamic between he and Young, even though Walsh would say he got the best out of both players.
No matter what, Montana and Young are still 49ers legends, and both obviously have a crucial place in the franchise's storied history.