Steve Young on Brock Purdy, Trey Lance and Sam Darnold

Posted By on July 20, 2023

Discussions about the 49ers this offseason have all revolved around the quarterback position.

Last week Steve Young sat down with Matt Maiocco for the 49ers Talk Podcast. Who better to break down the quarterback controversy than a Hall of Famer who has been through one himself.

Here is what Young had to say about each of the three quarterbacks.

Brock Purdy

“We have this incredible, unique human being named Brock Purdy. And I’m not going to limit him. I’m not going to say, oh he’s not bigger, he’s not as strong, he’s not as fast, I’m just not going to limit him. I think he’s just an incredibly unique human made for quarterbacking and let him cook. I don’t know how else to say it. I don’t want to prejudge anything and say he can or can’t do. I think it’s all possible with Brock.

“But the problem is he tore a ligament. I was talking to Dr. ElAttrache who does a lot of these. We were talking about all of that. He said, first of all he would have done it differently. But that’s just another opinion. One thing for sure, if it stays on track there is a six-month period to get it to full strength. The thing that’s unusual is he does it for baseball all the time. He’s done it three or four times for football, but not in the car wreck scenario the way that he described for Brock, so he’s not sure. And so, he’s not sure. No one can know exactly how it’s going to go. If Brock is ready game one, it’s not going to be one hundred percent. Anyone who says he can rip a pass six months later; I don’t think it belies reality. Doesn’t mean he can’t play at ninety percent. We’ll see how it goes. If he’s ready, I’m sure they’ll play him.

“There’s a processing, I call it ‘the force’, it’s like a Star Wars analogy. It’s something you can’t describe. It’s just someone has ‘the force.’ And I think quarterbacking is so much that way. When I see someone who has the force, I don’t know how to tell you all the intricacies of what makes that, but you can just tell. Brock had it so thick. It’s like Luke Skywalker. Right away, he wasn’t the biggest guy, he’s not the fast guy, he’s not the strongest arm, but he’s got the force. Maybe as strong as anyone who’s playing.

“You talk about on top of the culture, the innovative offense, the play calling, and the talent, it all kind of comes together. It’s easy to say ‘last pick in the draft, at his size, arm strength, and everything else there’s limitations.’ When talking about Brock Purdy, I don’t think you should speak that way because I think he’s the kind of guy who’s going to make you look like a dummy.”

Trey Lance

“First of all, if I’m Trey I’m not leaving because this is where I’m going to find out how good I can be. I said the same thing to Jimmy (Garoppolo). So, try to stay as long as you can and find ways onto the field. And force your way onto the field, make it your job. Someone has your job, go get it. Go prove that the limitations that we think that you’ve had in the past, that we have had so little data on that we’re guessing anyway. Go put all those things to rest, and say to yourself, ‘I am so much more than you ever though I was.’ I think that would be fun, if I were Trey, I would be eager to go do that. Go show everybody.

“Anyone who says, ‘Trey can’t’, off what? What data. ‘Oh, one game. One play back at North Dakota State.’ Like, come one man. Stop. You don’t know. And I don’t think he knows. But he needs an opportunity to go prove it. I don’t know if he’s going to get it.

“If I’m Trey Lance, I am doing everything I can. And he’s doing it right now. That’s my job. I’m going to go get it. And I’m going to go create my own narrative about what I can and maybe can’t do.”

Sam Darnold

“I’m a Sam Darnold fan. My instinct tells me he was able to do something really hard, which is be dealt a really lousy hand, and send up flares that tell me ‘I’m ok. I’m figuring this out. It doesn’t look like much right now, but don’t leave me behind.’ So, because he was able to do that in New York and in Carolina, and in Carolina the system was just terrible for quarterbacks. I thought he showed me signs, give me something to work with, give me some clay and I’ll make you look great.

“Do not sleep on Sam Darnold. Sam is as talented as anybody in the league in doing the things that we, you know the outward things like arm strength, mobility, and all this stuff. Again, he’s going to have to show that he has the force.

“I think we have three who are unique, individualized. The Venn Diagram doesn’t have much intersection. There’s Trey. There’s Brock trying to get healthy. And there’s Sam trying to figure out how to get on the field.

“If there’s anywhere, you’d want them to be, it’s right here. If anyone I’d want them to be coached by its Kyle, right here. We get to watch it play out. If anyone says, ‘I know what is going to happen’ I don’t think you could possibly know what’s going to happen right now.”

This article has 32 Comments

  1. I hope the 49ers don’t rush BP or for that matter BP doesn’t rush himself. Young sees a very special QB in BP so in the long run does it really matter if he plays the first game or the 6th or 7th game? If BP isn’t able to play until game 6 or 7 it will give Lance a chance to prove himself. If he does it will set up a huge trade for the 9ers. It could even be two trades if Darnold looks good. I could see Darnold ending up being traded to the Vikings and Brandon Allen starting the year off as the 9ers #3. imho

  2. The only QB who had zero positive QB traits stated about him in this article was Trey Lance. Whatever force a deer in the headlights has, Trey has too. He’ll be off the books after next year, riding the pine for some other team.

    2. I couldn’t agree more. Trey has to not only outplay Darnold, which I don’t think he will, but he has to also win games or he’s nothing more than Brock Purdy’s backup.

  3. Billy Price has been released by the Saints. Is it worth bringing him in and letting him compete in TC?

    1. Cubus,
      He was just signed in June then cut in July for a non football injury. He hasn’t been all that good lately. He was available until June and the 49ers showed no interest in him during that time. They have Brendel, Feliciano, Manning, Zakelj and Poe who all play G and C I think they will stick with those guys.

  4. All things being equal – the 49ers draft Purdy, Lance, Garopollo, and Darnold in the same draft. Pracitce reps are exactly equal. NFL starts are equal. And they go into the 2023 training camp locked in a QB battle – Sam Darnold would be the starting 49er QB against the Steelers in game 1 of the 2023 system.

      1. No. Everyone is fully healthy. I’m saying if Sam Darnold had Kyle Shanahan’s tutelage his entire pro career he would be the best QB on that list. The man has every bit of size and athleticism of Trey Lance. The best arm on the team. A delivery maybe not as fast as Jimmy but faster than Purdy and Lance. His problem has been decision making. Kyle would fix that in training camp.

        1. I’m all in on Darnold but don’t know if he has the instincts Purdy has demonstrated. Once Brock established himself, to me it was during the Brady game, I never felt we were going to lose a game. I believed that even going into Philly. If Sam has that, that’s wonderful. My hope is that Brock will sit and give Sam the opportunity to show us.

        2. So far Darnold has proved the exact opposite of what you are saying. Explain how Kyle could fix his decision making skills.

          1. Felix, I think you have to factor in the quality of the offenses he played with, including their lines, and the multiple systems he had to adjust to. Kyle’s system, as you know, is as easy as it gets, once you master it. Unfortunately, he probably won’t be able to master all of it before the season starts, but that’s how it goes.

            1. I get all that but I don’t get how he’s going to improve his decision making and I hope 1.6 would elaborate.

              1. I think that Jimmy G. improved his decision making last year and that I attribute to Brian Griese. Don’t underestimate Griese’s impact on these QBs.

              2. Sorry Felix, just now getting back to this and Jack already has another post. Hope you see my response. From a QB perspective, knowing your reads is critical. From a play design perspective, you have a pre-snap read and then you are keying on specific players post-snap to read the defense. For example if a defense is in a zone, the QB may read the Safety and know automatically between 2 receivers near the same Zone on who should get the ball. That’s what Kyle is amazing at for QBs. He simplifies the reads and which defensive players to read which automatically makes the QB decision making process much quicker and more effective. In other offenses, those reads aren’t as transparent as Kyle makes them for his QBs. You’ve heard Brock say, he just does what Kyle says to do and that’s why he was successful. On every play, Kyle has simplified reads that tell QBs exactly what to do with the ball. If Sam Darnold had that type of coaching, we wouldn’t be concerned about his decision making.

  5. Read between the lines what Steve says about Trey: “You don’t know. And I don’t think he knows. But he needs an opportunity to go prove it. I don’t know if he’s going to get it.”

  6. Dee,
    If the Dr. Young quotes is accurate regarding BP either Lance or Darnold may get a chance to play a few regular season games and prove themselves.

    1. Agree, Coach. I believe that the majority of the comments regarding Purdy have been very positive.
      Purdy had an excellent rookie season and is the unquestioned starter going into 2023. Brock’s ability is not being questioned.

      My only pause is, how will he perform post surgery? Not sure where the criticism is in that (not you Coach). It’s a real concern and one that matters, imho.

  7. I’ve watched Purdue for his entire college career at Iowa State and the dude is a competitor. This may be a serious injury to some but this guy iIS NOT your typical unknown QB he’s the real deal. Get ready 9er fans for some magic to happen this year. I haven’t been a big 9er fan in the past but I’ve been a huge BP fan since his introduction at ISU.

  8. “But the problem is he tore a ligament. I was talking to Dr. ElAttrache who does a lot of these. We were talking about all of that. He said, first of all he would have done it differently (I’m assuming he meant the procedure). But that’s just another opinion. One thing for sure, if it stays on track there is a six-month period to get it to full strength.”

    Interesting response by this Doctor. He said that he would have done it differently. Not sure how many other procedures are recommended, but I do know that Tommy John surgery is one of them.
    The TJ surgery has had positive results, although the recovery time takes longer. The Internal Brace procedure has a faster recovery rate.
    Purdy is at about 6 months in with his recovery time-line. How that translates to field is definitely something I want to see.

  9. Do not sleep on Sam Darnold. Sam is as talented as anybody in the league in doing the things that we, you know the outward things like arm strength, mobility, and all this stuff. Again, he’s going to have to show that he has the force.

  10. Young has had one too many shots to the head. Of course he talks up the other two while he has nothing great to say about Lance who is by far the most talented QB we have had since Colin.

    I never cared for Young too much. He chased Joe out of town and always choked against the Cowboys and Packers.

    1. Hey watch it there Bay, Steve Young may just be the greatest Girls high school football coach in America.

          1. Unlike this person, the real BAF, brought some logic and reason into his comments.

            In any case, I will no longer address him.

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