“I Wanted Out”: 49ers Legend Steve Young Finally Reveals Why He Stayed as Joe Montana’s Backup

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – NOVEMBER 14: Steve Young announces during the game between the Washington Commanders and the Philadelphia Eagles on November 14, 2022 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire NFL, American Football Herren, USA NOV 14 Commanders at Eagles Icon221114090 ©IMAGO/Icon Sportswire

Before Steve Young became a San Francisco 49ers hero, he was wasting his time in the depth. With Joe Montana set as the starter, his hopes of replacing him looked dim. However, Young felt compelled to stay on.

“I wanted out,”he said on In Depth with Graham Bensinger. “I was the one that had Leigh Steinberg go figure out how to get me out of here, like, I got to get out of here; I can’t take it.

“It’s just nuts, my career just going by, and I’m just standing here. And then when it got really right down to it, we had to make the decision. … It was the spring of 1991, and there was something about [it]. There’s something about it [that] want to stay.”

Young came to the 49ers in 1987 via a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He had already been deemed a bust by the latter team. And at San Francisco, he was faced with Montana, who had already brought the team two Super Bowls. There was never really a challenge to begin with, especially at that time: Montana would be the starter over Young any day. This situation led Young to remain as a backup for four years.

Steve Young's path to Canton wasn't obvious when he was stuck behind Joe Montana. If you want to follow the 49ers' biggest moments and the players who defined them, subscribe for more interesting stories.

However, opportunity struck in 1991, when Montana missed the season after surgery on his throwing elbow. Young started for the 49ers that year. It was a rocky experience, with him going 5-5 that year. But he finished the season with a league-best 101.8 passer rating and helped San Francisco win its final six games.

Montana was healthy the next year, and fellow QB Steve Bono also emerged as a solid competitor for Young. But the latter balled out that year, winning the NFL MVP Award. In 1993, Montana put in a request to be traded, which sent him to the Kansas City Chiefs. The road was finally open for Steve Young to play as he’d always dreamt.

Young went on to win one Super Bowl for the 49ers himself, and scripted a career that put him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. All because he patiently waited for the golden chance.

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