Young

Young will see a Los Angeles neurologist Tuesday for a second opinion and might also seek a third opinion from a Utah doctor, Steinberg said.

The 49ers will be without Young for a third straight game Sunday. General manager Bill Walsh told Kremer the earliest the team will consider bringing Young back is after their bye week for a game in Week 9 against the Steelers on Nov. 7.

Dr. Gary Steinberg, a Stanford neurologist, gave Young and the 49ers his recommendation earlier this week. The nature of the recommendation was not revealed, but Leigh Steinberg offered only this: "It was not a cheery report. Read into that what you will."

"My advice is my opinion alone," Gary Steinberg said Thursday. "There's too many unknowns about this, and there's an obvious concern when someone suffers multiple concussive incidents."

Gary Steinberg said Young has shown improvement since the hit 2½ weeks ago that caused his fourth concussion in three years. However, Young underwent a series of neurological tests Wednesday and again failed to be cleared to rejoin the 49ers on the field.

"The reason he hasn't been cleared to play up until now is that it's my opinion and the opinion of the 49ers that it's in the best interest of Steve Young to allow his brain to recover," Steinberg said.

Without coming out and saying it directly, the signals from his doctor, agent, coach, and the team's general manager all point toward Young having to retire from football.

"He's trying to hang on because he's so darn good at it," a somber coach Steve Mariucci said Thursday. "Certainly, in Steve's mind, there is some hope, somewhere he's reaching for some hope that, 'Hey, I'll be back.' That's what he thinks about. That's why I don't think it's going to happen today or tomorrow. We're going to give it it's due time."

While Young viewed the doctor's ruling Wednesday as a temporary setback, it comes amid signs that his family, friends and some team officials don't want him to resume playing and expose himself to another damaging hit.

"More people are suggesting the 'R' word to him," Mariucci said of retirement. "He doesn't like hearing it, but sooner or later he's going to need to admit it to himself, say it and believe that it's right.

"He hasn't come to that just yet, but eventually that will occur. I can't tell you when."

Young, 38, a two-time NFL MVP who led the 49ers to their last Super Bowl championship in 1994, said he's taking the concerns about his health to heart, but doesn't think his viewpoint is that different from that of anyone else.

"Most of my family and friends are saying what I'm saying: If there's concern, then we shouldn't do it," Young said. "If there isn't and you can work through it and the doctor feels good about it, there's nothing mysterious about it. It's pretty cut and dried. I really want to play again."

Mariucci said Young is still dealing with post-concussion symptoms of fatigue and wooziness.

Young, who endured two concussions in 1996 and another in the 1997 season opener, suffered the latest one when he was leveled by blitzing Arizona cornerback Aeneas Williams and struck his head on tackle Dave Fiore's knee before slamming into the ground.

"I think the symptoms are lasting a little bit longer than they did before," Mariucci said. "In previous concussions, he has recovered sooner. That in itself is the concern."

Walsh said the 49ers, who play Carolina on Sunday, are girding for life without Young.

"We just play. This is part of the game," Walsh said. "You've seen people out for the season with injuries and people just keep on playing. We've had more than our share, with (running back) Garrison Hearst being added to it. But it can hit anybody at any time in the sports industry."

Walsh said he met with Young, discussed his future and encouraged Young to seek additional medical opinions, leading to the possible conclusion the doctor recommended Young retire because of the potential for long-term health risks.

"Five to 10 years from now, when he's feeling really fit, he's going to say, 'Why didn't I play football?' " Walsh said. "I took the advice of one physician. I should have really checked into it. I want to make sure he really checks into everything. He has to have more than one opinion, just for his own well-being."

Walsh said there might be a formal announcement of Young's future in the next two weeks.

"You have to remember Steve has been playing football all his life and for anyone to think that this process is going to be real quick and rapid, it's not going to happen that way," Leigh Steinberg said. "It's a deliberate process. But all the people around Steve are trying to help him do the right things.

"The thing is, he's not playing right now so he's not hurting himself. He's 38 and he does have the right to make up his own mind about this."