| | ESPN.com news services
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Steve Young's football future remains unclear, and a news conference Tuesday did little to clarify his next move.
|
 |
|
|
Tuesday, June 6
I know the 49ers' salary-cap issues helped them make the decision, but obviously, they feel like Steve Young should retire. I commend the organization for standing up and asking if it is really worth it for them to put Young on the field and risk him being permanently damaged or fatally hurt. The 49ers know they are rebuilding and won't win a championship next year. If he couldn't make the decision, they were going to make it for him.
I guess the 49ers figured that if they took a stand and said Young couldn't play for them, he wouldn't want to further his career with another organization where he would have to blend in and develop chemistry. That's tough to do, even for someone as great as Young is.
If the Broncos can clear Young to play and if he signs with them, they would definitely be a better team. Neither Brian Griese nor Gus Frerotte are as good as Young in terms of talent and experience. They have a sound offensive line and an outstanding running game, and the system is conducive to getting rid of the ball quickly.
The Broncos, with Young, would put themselves in a position to vie for a championship again. But there would be limitations involved with him staying healthy. In Elway's last year, there were things they limited because they didn't want him to get hurt. Mike Shanahan may want to implement the same constraints to protect Young. The Broncos won a championship doing that. |
|
|
Young said Tuesday that he met with Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan on Monday only to determine what options he might have with teams other than the 49ers, not to negotiate a deal, as 49ers general manager Bill Walsh had indicated Monday.
The record-setting quarterback, speaking at 49ers headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif., said he has not yet made a decision about next year. Young said he could retire, play with the 49ers if he meets certain conditions or play for another team.
Walsh said in a later news conference that the Broncos and the Seahawks have expressed interest in Young and that the two-time league MVP could return to play with the 49ers if he met with team physicians and received "documented" clearance to play.
Walsh said Young has not yet met with 49ers physicians to receive such clearance.
Walsh also said the 49ers have salary-cap room for a player of Young's stature. Young and Walsh met Tuesday and both agreed there was a misunderstanding between the two on Young's intentions when he met with Shanahan on Monday.
The 49ers had granted Young permission to
negotiate with the Denver Broncos even while holding out hope he
still decides to retire because of his history of concussions.
"He's had a brilliant career," 49ers general manager Bill
Walsh said Monday. "He's become one of the most famous men in
sports. He's been a world champion. I feel his best option is
retirement but that's not his opinion. He has a choice to continue
to play."
Whether Young exercises that choice, it is clear he is exploring
it.
Young approached 49ers officials over the weekend,
indicated a desire to play and asked if he could talk to the
Broncos, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported Monday. San Francisco, which is struggling with salary-cap
problems and is in the midst of a rebuilding effort, reluctantly
agreed.
The highest-rated passer in league history, Young led San
Francisco to a Super Bowl title in 1994, but he hasn't played since
a head blow Sept. 27 against Arizona left him with his fourth
concussion in three years.
"He has not been cleared to play with the San Francisco 49ers
and we weren't headed in a direction where he may have been
cleared," Walsh said. "Steve Young asked for an opportunity to
negotiate with the Denver Broncos. He was given that opportunity."
Walsh said Young's disposition with the 49ers would
be resolved by Friday. Young is due a $1 million bonus if he's
still on San Francisco's active roster on Saturday. Asked if Young's return to San Francisco was likely, Walsh
replied, "It doesn't appear that way."
Young, 38, met with Broncos coach Mike Shanahan at a hotel near
the Denver airport earlier Monday, according to KOA radio in
Denver. Shanahan was the 49ers' offensive coordinator during their
last Super Bowl run and had a close relationship with Young.
"I think he can play football, certainly," Walsh said. "We
have not cleared him for obvious reasons. It's just like a
heavyweight fighter would go into a bout with a history of being
knocked out. But obviously, Denver believes he's physically fit to
play."
Young, who has passed a battery of neurological tests and shows
no signs of permanent brain damage, still has not made a formal
announcement on whether to keep playing or retire. He missed the
last 13 games of the season.
His agent, Leigh Steinberg, did not immediately return a phone
call seeking comment. A spokesman for the Broncos declined to
comment.
|  | | Could Steve Young be headed to Denver if he's not welcome back in San Francisco? |
Before word of Young's visit to Denver, San Francisco coach
Steve Mariucci also said he would rather see Young retire than play
for another team because he is so ingrained in the club's history.
"He knows whatever he decides I'm going to support him,"
Mariucci said. "But he knows and I think it would be unanimous
within the 49ers organization that we would rather see him retire
than play for somebody else.
"We all remain strong supporters of Steve Young. That's not
going to change. If he chooses to do that (go elsewhere), we'll
deal with it and wish him well and that will be it. Certainly, we
hope if he plays in the league again, whether it's here or anywhere
else, that he plays well and stays healthy and finishes his career
like he intended."
Young has been the starter in San Francisco since taking over
for Joe Montana in 1991. But the 49ers lost 11 of their last 13
games after Young was sidelined en route to their first losing
season in a non-strike year since 1980.
Now in a rebuilding mode and battling salary-cap problems, the
49ers have already said they wouldn't try to talk Young out of
retiring if that's what he wanted. The 49ers could save $3 million
in cap money if Young retired and could face up to an $8.8 million
cap hit next season if Young played for the 49ers this season.
But Walsh said his health -- not money -- was the issue with the
49ers.
Denver, still searching for a replacement for John Elway, feels
it can make another Super Bowl run with a quarterback of Young's
caliber and the return from injury of running back Terrell Davis.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
| |
ALSO SEE
View from Denver: Shanahan should know better
Niners trade DB McQuarters to Bears
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Steve Young's future in San Francisco is yet to be determined.
RealVideo: | 28.8
 Bill Walsh says Steve Young will not be in San Francisco this season.
wav: 184 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Steve Young Explains his options for next year.
wav
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Mike Shanahan does not have the answers regarding Steve Young's future.
wav: 165 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
|
