NFL Legend Steve Young Questions The San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Strategy

Steve Young is a San Francisco 49ers legend. He is a little concerned about the current quarterback situation with his former team. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has declined to name a starter due to Brock Purdy being injured but Young questions whether any quarterback on the team can deliver when it matters most.

Steve Young Questions The San Francisco 49ers QB Strategy

Between Purdy, Trey Lance, and Sam Darnold, the room is full of potential talent. The issue is that none of these quarterbacks are seen as top-tier guys. This was Young’s point on the “49ers Talk with Matt Maiocco” podcast.

“Do we have a quarterback that can match those four or five guys that can go light it up with their arms and go get those yards with their legs in a big, huge moment?”

Inevitably, shootouts happen in the NFL. Young isn’t sure that Purdy, Lance, or Darnold would be able to match the opposing quarterback drive for drive. What Shanahan is counting on is the rest of the roster stepping up.

Loaded At Other Positions

What hinders most teams is the contract of the quarterback. The big payday for the signal caller means that there is less money for younger players. The 49ers do not have this issue and have blue-chip players all over the roster. Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle make up a great bunch of pass-catchers. Nick Bosa is a top-five defensive player in the league and Fred Warner is a top linebacker. They have lost some in the secondary but it doesn’t matter much when the quarterback doesn’t have time to throw. The 49ers are counting on the rest of the team to buoy the quarterback.

Is Steve Young right about the San Francisco 49ers? Should they be more worried about the quarterback situation? Only time will tell but it will be something to watch in the 2023 season.