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_(cropped).jpg) Young in 2012 | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Position | Quarterback | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1961-10-11)October 11, 1961 (age 64) Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||
| High school | Greenwich (Greenwich, Connecticut) | ||||||||||||||||||
| College | BYU (1980–1983) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Supplemental draft | 1984: 1st round, 1st overall pick | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||
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Jon Steven Young (born October 11, 1961) is an American former professionalfootballquarterback who played in theNational Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, most notably with theSan Francisco 49ers. He also played for theTampa Bay Buccaneers, who drafted him. Prior to his NFL career, Young played for theLos Angeles Express of theUnited States Football League (USFL) for two seasons. He playedcollege football for theBYU Cougars, setting school and NCAA records.
Young left the fledgling USFL after the 1985 season to join the Buccaneers. Two seasons of underwhelming play led Tampa Bay to trade him to the 49ers in 1987. A quarterback controversy ensued as he spent several seasons backing up starting quarterbackJoe Montana, who had previously led San Francisco to fourSuper Bowl championships. Young became the 49ers' full-time starting quarterback in 1991. He was named the AP'sNFL Most Valuable Player in1992 and1994, and was the MVP ofSuper Bowl XXIX where he led the 49ers to a victory over theSan Diego Chargers with a record six touchdown passes. During his 1994 MVP campaign, Young set a new NFL record for passer rating at 112.8.[1] He is a member of theCollege Football Hall of Fame and thePro Football Hall of Fame.
Young was an extremely efficient passer, leading the league inpasser rating a record six times and completion percentage and yards per attempt five times.[2] At the time of his retirement, Young had the highest passer rating among NFL quarterbacks with at least 1,500 passing attempts (96.8). As of 2025[update], he was ranked fourteenth all time in passer rating, and was ranked fourth-highest amongst retired players, behind onlyDrew Brees,Tom Brady, andTony Romo.[3] Young's43 career rushing touchdowns are fourth among quarterbacks,[4] while his 4,239 rushing yards ranks sixth all time.[5]
Born inSalt Lake City, Utah, Young attended Eastern Middle School, andGreenwich High School inGreenwich, Connecticut, where he played quarterback on its Cardinals football team.
Young earned 1978 All-FCIAC West Division First Team honors in his junior year, his first year as a starter. In his senior year, Young rushed for 13 touchdowns and earned All-FCIAC West Division First Team honors, and was named to theCIAC All-State team. In the rush-first option offense run by Greenwich, he completed only 41 percent of his throws for 1,220 yards, but ran the ball 267 times for 1,928 yards. On Thanksgiving Day in November 1979, Greenwich lost to Darien High School, known for its "Tidal Wave Defense", 17–0.[6] During his senior year, Young was co-captain of the football, basketball, and baseball teams. In basketball, he averaged 15 points a game. In baseball, Young hit .384 and played center field when he was not pitching. Young was 5–1 and threw a 3–0no-hitter againstNew Canaan High School.
Young was heavily recruited by theUniversity of North Carolina. CoachDick Crum was enamored of Young's running ability, and wanted him to run his option offense. Young instead chose BYU. Initially, he struggled at throwing the ball, and BYU's coaching staff considered switching him to defensive back because of his athleticism. However, Young worked hard to improve his passing skills and eventually succeeded record-settingJim McMahon as BYU's starting quarterback. In his senior season, Young led the nation in passing yards (3,902), passing touchdowns (33),passer rating, and his 71.3%completion percentage set anNCAA single-season record.[7] Young also added 544 yards rushing. With Young at quarterback, BYU set an NCAA record by averaging 584.2 yards of total offense per game, with 370.5 of those yards coming from his passing and rushing. The Cougars finished the year with an impressive 11–1 record; Young was named aunanimous All-American and received theDavey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, which recognizes the nation's best collegiate quarterback each year. He also finished second in voting for theHeisman Trophy, behindNebraska running backMike Rozier. Young capped his college career by scoring the game-winning touchdown on a pass from the halfback in BYU's 21–17 victory overMissouri in the1983 Holiday Bowl.
Young finished his college career with 592 pass completions for 7,733 yards and 56 touchdowns, along with 1,048 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. He was enshrined in theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 2001.
At the time Young left college theUSFL was proving a serious challenge to the establishedNFL, and he had a choice to be a top pick in either league.
Young was selected by theUSFLLos Angeles Express in the first round (11th overall) of the1984 draft held that January. Express general managerDon Klosterman told Young that if he signed with the Express, his head coach would beJohn Hadl, a former All-Pro quarterback who had shepherdedJohn Elway through his first year in the NFL. Klosterman also told Young that Hall of Fame coachSid Gillman, who had been hired as a consultant, would tutor him on how to be a pro quarterback.
The regular1984 NFL draft would not be held until May. To help influence his decision, the Express offered an all-sports record 10-year, $40 million contract.[8][9][10][11] Young was convinced, and signed with the Express in March 1984.[12] He agreed to take his payment in the form of anannuity paid out over forty years to help the fledgling team.[a]
After missing the first six games of his rookie season while taking some college classes in order to graduate on time, Young started the final 12 games. He had a respectable year, highlighted by becoming the first pro football player ever to pass for 300 yards and rush for 100 in a single game.
Despite a roster which included future NFL players such asJojo Townsell,Mel Gray, and Kevin Nelson, and making the Western Conference title game in Young's first season, the Express were never able to create a sustaining fan base inLos Angeles. They often played to sparse crowds that looked even more so in the then-95,000-seatLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Near the end of the 1984 season, Express owner J. William Oldenburg was forced to give up control of the team after multiple reports revealed he had misrepresented his net worth.Houston Gamblers minority owner Jay Roulier was cleared to buy the team, only to be pushed out shortly before the 1985 preseason when it emerged that he too had lied about his finances. For all intents and purposes, the Express' 1985 season ended at that point. The league took over the team and cut the budget to the bare minimum. Notably, no money was allocated to replace injured players.[12][14] This left the Express in a precarious position when a rash of injuries decimated the roster. Even before then, Young and the other young players concluded that the Express would not be around for the planned move to a fall schedule in 1986, even if the USFL survived. With this in mind, they played tentatively so as not to harm their NFL prospects. As a result, despite fielding essentially the same team as a year prior, the Express cratered to a 3–15 record.
Before the Express' final home game — which had been moved toLos Angeles Pierce College in the San Fernando Valley — the bus driver refused to leave unless he was paid up front, in cash. Young contributed some money, as did the team trainer, and the driver took them to the game. In the season finale atOrlando, Young had to line up at tailback because the Express had no healthy running backs left on the roster.[12][14]
It was reported that Young had insured his contract and would still be paid until 2027.[15] However, facing the prospect of both a faltering owner and an unstable league, Young had already renegotiated his 10-year deal down to 4 years, and had already collected a total of $4.8 million of the $5.8 million due in total through the final year of that deal (in 1987), working out to an annual rate of pay of $2.4 million for his first two seasons that was the highest in all of American sports.[b] Included in that negotiation was a payment of $1.4 million for the balance of the 10-year annuity (less money paid out against it), and salaries for the remaining two years of the deal "in excess of $450,000" annually according the USFL Commissioner then overseeing the LA Express (which had fallen into receivership).[16]
Young grew increasingly dissatisfied with the disarray surrounding the Express. Just a week before what proved to be the last USFL title game, Young gave the USFL an ultimatum – find a new owner for the Express, or allow him to buy out his contract and go to the NFL.[14] Soon after the league decided to suspend the Express's operations for the 1986 season, Young bought out his Express contract and signed with theTampa Bay Buccaneers, who had made him the first pick in asupplemental draft of USFL and CFL players a year earlier.[17]
By this time, the Buccaneers were in the midst of what would be 12 consecutive 10-loss seasons. They posted identical 2–14 records in Young's two seasons with them, going 3–16 with him as a starter. Young threw for only 11 touchdowns with 21 interceptions while completing fewer than 55% of his passes.
The Buccaneers selectedUniversity of Miami quarterbackVinny Testaverde first overall in the1987 NFL draft because Young was deemed a bust.[18] Young was traded to theSan Francisco 49ers on April 24, 1987, to serve as a backup toJoe Montana. 49ers coachBill Walsh was impressed by Young's natural abilities, and believed his lackluster numbers were primarily due to the lack of talent around him in Tampa Bay.
The Buccaneers received second and fourth round draft picks in the trade, which they used to draft MiamilinebackerWinston Moss, andArizona Statewide receiverBruce Hill, respectively.
Young played behind Montana for four years, but shone as a backup. Substituting for an injured Montana, early in the first quarter of a1987 game against theChicago Bears, Young threw four touchdown passes in a 41–0 victory. In their 1987 divisional playoff game against theMinnesota Vikings, he replaced Montana in the second half after the team fell behind 27–10. The 49ers still lost the game, but Young had a good performance, completing 12 of 17 pass attempts for 158 yards, a touchdown, and an interception while also leading San Francisco in rushing with 72 yards and a touchdown on six carries. On October 30, 1988, Young ran for a 49-yard, game-winning touchdown against theMinnesota Vikings. It was the longest run by a 49ers quarterback until2012 with a 56 yard-run byColin Kaepernick.[19] Young started the game out with a 73-yard touchdown pass toJohn Taylor, after Montana went down with an injury. The play earned the 49ers a 24–21 victory and a bit of revenge on the Vikings for their previous season's playoff loss. The win turned out to be crucial. Without it, the 49ers would have finished the season 9–7 and missed the playoffs. Two other teams in their division, theLos Angeles Rams andNew Orleans Saints, had 10–6 records. Instead, the 49ers won their division, earned the #2 playoff seed, and went on to win theSuper Bowl.
In 1989, Young displayed potential to become the team's starter in the future. While Montana won the NFL MVP award and led the team to a victory inSuper Bowl XXIV, Young still had a good season, completing 69% of his passes for 1,001 yards, eight touchdowns, and only three interceptions. On October 22, 1989, he posted a perfect passer rating of 158.3 when he completed 11 of 12 passes for 188 yards and three touchdown passes in a 37–20 victory over theNew England Patriots.
Young rushed for a career-high 102 yards on just eight carries against theNew Orleans Saints on December 23, 1990, making him only the second 49ers quarterback to rush for at least 100 yards in a single game. The 49ers lost the game 13–10.[20]
In his four seasons as a backup, Young threw 23 touchdown passes and only six interceptions.
Following an injury to Montana's elbow in the1990 NFC Championship Game, which forced him to miss the entire 1991 season, Young got his chance to lead the 49ers, but got off to a rough start. Midway through the season, the 49ers found themselves struggling with a 4–4 record. In the ninth game of the season, after throwing a franchise-record 97-yard touchdown pass to Taylor, Young suffered a knee injury and was replaced by backup quarterbackSteve Bono. After a loss in that game and the next, Bono led the 49ers to five consecutive victories, playing so well that coachGeorge Seifert decided to keep him in the starting lineup after Young had recovered. It was not until late in the 15th game of the season, after Bono went down with an injury of his own, that Young got to play again. Young then closed out the season by throwing for 338 yards and three touchdowns and also rushing for 63 yards and another touchdown in a 52–14 win over theChicago Bears in aMonday Night Football game atCandlestick Park.
Young finished the season with an NFL best 101.8 passer rating. Despite missing five full games and most of a sixth, he still threw for 2,517 yards, 17 touchdowns, and only eight interceptions. Despite Young's strong season, the season for the team was widely regarded as a disappointment. The 49ers had slipped from a 14–2 record in the previous season to a 10–6 record in 1991. 10 wins, while usually being enough to grant a playoff spot for a team, kept the 49ers just short of the playoffs, and San Francisco ended up not playing in the postseason for the first time since 1982. It was thought by many that Young's days as the 49ers starter were numbered due to the impending return of Montana from the injury to his right elbow, and some observers said the 49ers should trade Young and keep Montana and Bono. However, the trade never happened.
By the start of the1992 season, it appeared that Young's starting job was in serious peril. In addition to having to compete with Bono, Montana appeared to be close to recovering from his elbow tendon surgery. San Francisco came close to trading Young to theLos Angeles Raiders, but no deal was finalized and it turned out that Montana would not recover in time to start in the opening game. Montana would not return until the final game of the 1992 season, a Monday Night home game against theDetroit Lions. Montana played the entire second half of that final game and guided the 49ers to victory.
Young ended up as San Francisco's starting quarterback, but once again got off to a rough start. On the fifth play of the opening game at theNew York Giants, he suffered a concussion and was replaced by Bono, who threw two touchdown passes while leading the 49ers to a 31–14 victory. The following week, the 49ers lost 34–31 to theBuffalo Bills, despite a career-high 449 passing yards and three touchdowns from Young, in a game that for the first time in NFL history had zero punts from either team.
Young recovered and led the 49ers on a five-game winning streak, capped off by a 56–17 victory over theAtlanta Falcons in which he passed for 399 yards and three touchdowns. After missing most of the next game (a 24–14 loss to theCardinals) with the flu, Young led San Francisco to a victory in all of their remaining games of the season, giving the team a 14–2 record. He went on to throw for 227 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 73 yards in a 20–13 divisional playoff win over theWashington Redskins. However, the 49ers lost theNFC Championship game, 30–20, to the eventualSuper Bowl championDallas Cowboys. Young threw for 313 yards, completing 71.4% of his passes while passing for a touchdown and rushing for another. However, he also threw two interceptions, but the final one came with the outcome of the game already decided.
Young finished the season with 3,465 passing yards and 537 rushing yards, along with an NFL-best 25 touchdown passes and 107.0 passer rating, earning him theNFL Most Valuable Player Award and his first selection to the Pro Bowl. Young was the first quarterback ever to record a triple-digit rating in consecutive seasons. Many credit his turnaround to the mentoring of the 49ers' new offensive coordinatorMike Shanahan, who worked with Young on combining his running skill with on-the-move passing decisions.
Before the start of the 1993 season, team ownerEddie DeBartolo Jr. announced that he wanted Montana to resume his role as starting quarterback for the 49ers. However, a rift in the locker room had developed, with players split on whom they wanted at quarterback. In the spring of 1993, at Montana's request, San Francisco traded Montana to theKansas City Chiefs. Young was now the 49ers' undisputed starter, and would remain so for the rest of his career. But once again, Young had a rough start to the season. Over the first four games of 1993, Young, who was hindered by a swollen thumb on his throwing hand, threw eight interceptions, more than he had thrown during the entire 1992 season. But after his thumb healed, Young went on an incredible streak over a span of seven games, throwing 16 touchdown passes with only two interceptions and a 122.2 passer rating. By the end of the year, Young set franchise records for most passing yards (4,023), and consecutive passes thrown without an interception (189, later eclipsed byAlex Smith in 2012), while leading the NFL in touchdown passes (29) and passer rating (101.5). The team slipped to a 10–6 record, but advanced to theNFC championship game again by blowing out theNew York Giants 44–3 in the Divisional Round. However, they were again defeated by theDallas Cowboys, this time 38–21.
After several key free agent signings (including All-Pro cornerbackDeion Sanders) andNFL draft selections, the 49ers looked to win their first Super Bowl since1989. They started fast, beating theLos Angeles Raiders 44–14 on the strength of four touchdown passes from Young, one of four games during the regular season in which he had at least four.[21] After a loss in a much-anticipated game to Joe Montana and theKansas City Chiefs,[22] the 49ers won their next two games before losing to thePhiladelphia Eagles 40–8 at Candlestick Park, a game in which Young was eventually benched in the middle of an offensive series. Although head coach George Seifert later said he only pulled Young because he was getting manhandled by the Eagles' defense, Young had had enough of being scapegoated for 49er shortfalls and loudly (and visibly) lambasted Seifert over his decision while standing on the sideline during the game.
"Is this great or what? I mean, I haven't thrown six touchdown passes in a game in my life. Then I throw six in the Super Bowl! Unbelievable."
But the game was considered a turning point in the season; from there, Young led the team to 10 consecutive wins, by an average of 20 points, before losing the meaningless finale against the Vikings in which Young completed his first 12 of 13 attempts before going to the sidelines. They finished an NFL best 13–3, securing home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. The 49ers had the number-one offense in the NFL, and were so dominant that Seifert often took Young out of games early if he felt that the 49ers had an insurmountable lead at the time.
After an easy 44–15 victory over theChicago Bears in the Divisional Round,[24] the 49ers jumped out to a 31–14 halftime lead over theDallas Cowboys in theNFC Championship Game, holding on to win 38–28. Young threw for two touchdowns, while adding 47 yards and another touchdown on the ground. As a result, he went to his first Super Bowl as a starting quarterback. The 49ers were heavy favorites to become the first team with five Super Bowl victories.
On the strength of a six-touchdown performance that surpassed the previous Super Bowl record of five, owned by the man Young replaced, Joe Montana, Young was named the MVP ofSuper Bowl XXIX, as the 49ers defeated theSan Diego Chargers, 49–26. Young also threw for 325 yards and rushed for 49 yards, making him the first player ever to finish a Super Bowl as the game's leader in both rushing and passing yards.
The victory capped off an incredible year for Young, who had one of the best seasons by a quarterback in NFL history. He threw for 3,969 yards, a then-franchise record 35 touchdown passes with only 10 interceptions, completed 70.3 percent of his passes – the highest completion percentage of the 1990s, third all-time, and at the time, the best completion percentage by any quarterback with more than 400 attempts (later eclipsed byDrew Brees in2009). Additionally, Young broke Joe Montana's single-season mark with a then-record 112.8 passer rating, and also once again demonstrated his great scrambling ability, accumulating another 289 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. For his record-breaking season performances, Young was awarded his secondAP NFL MVP award, becoming the seventh player in NFL history to win both league and Super Bowl MVP honors in the same season.
In the three years following Super Bowl XXIX, the 49ers were eliminated in the playoffs each year byBrett Favre and theGreen Bay Packers, twice in San Francisco. In addition to the early playoff exits, Young suffered a series of injuries that forced him to miss several games from 1995 to 1997. Young entered the1998 season at age 37 and some began to wonder if his skills would diminish because of his history of injuries and a general decline in his game due to age. However, Young silenced all critics once again, putting up career numbers in passing yards (4,170) and passing touchdowns (36).[25] The 49ers finally beat Favre and thePackers in theNFC Wild Card Round that year, as Young threw the winning touchdown to wide receiverTerrell Owens with three seconds remaining to win the game 30–27.[26] In reference toDwight Clark's legendary catch against the Dallas Cowboys in the1981 NFC Championship Game, Owens's grab was called "The Catch II". A week later, however,Garrison Hearst broke his ankle on the 49ers' first play from scrimmage. Without the threat of a running game, Young threw three interceptions (the last one a Hail Mary pass with under 30 seconds remaining in the game) and the 49ers were defeated by theAtlanta Falcons 20–18.[27] Over that span of seasons from 1995 to 1998, Young led the NFL in passer rating twice (in 1996 and 1997), and led the NFL with 36 touchdown passes in 1998.[28][29][30]
On September 27, 1999, Young played onMonday Night Football atSun Devil Stadium against theArizona Cardinals, but left with just seconds remaining before halftime. CornerbackAeneas Williams rushed in on a corner blitz from Young's blindside. Running backLawrence Phillips was supposed to block on the play and protect Young's blindside from any incoming pass rushers, but failed to pick up the blitz. Young tried to dodge the oncoming pressure, but Williams delivered a hard, but clean blow, directly to his chest. Fellow cornerbackJ. J. McCleskey simultaneously dove into the back of his lower legs as he came off a block by tackleDave Fiore.[31][32]
The combination of both hits with the blow to the chest sent Young falling backwards into the ground with the back of his head hitting Fiore's leg before it finally made impact with the turf. Young was knocked unconscious and lay motionless on the field with his eyes shut for several seconds as tackleDerrick Deese tugged at his jersey to try to revive him and help him up. Deese immediately waved his arms to call for assistance with team trainers and doctors quickly responding and running on the field with head coachSteve Mariucci and were able to quickly revive Young. After a few moments, Young walked off the field under his own power and remained on the sideline after returning from halftime and for the rest of the49ers' 24–10 victory at the Cardinals. Young even tried to talk Mariucci into letting him re-enter the game at one point, but Mariucci refused and ruled him out for the game. Young donned a cap on the sidelines asJeff Garcia stepped in his place.[31][33] While Philips put the game away with a 68-yard touchdown, the missed block led the 49ers to question his work ethic. It proved to be the beginning of the end of Philips' tenure in San Francisco; he was suspended in November for refusing to practice and never played for them again.[32]
"I was shocked, that was my sense of it. I was just shocked. I remember a flash and as I was going backwards, catching (tackle) Dave Fiore's knee and then the ground. And then mostly just resting for a second because I wanted to collect myself, but once I stood up, I felt I knew exactly what was going on and that's why my initial reaction was to go back into the game."[34]
(Reaction to the hit)
In the following days, Young underwent MRIs and met with Dr. Gary Steinberg, the chiefneurologist atStanford Hospital, who treated Young's last concussion. Initially, he was expected to miss one to two weeks and still participated in practice.[31] This was the fourth severe concussion Young had suffered with the other three concussions occurring in between October 1996 and August 1997. He considered retirement following his last series of concussions and was urged to do so by his family.[34]
"The MRI did not show any of the so-called white spots, which are thought to be indicative of progressive brain trauma. So that was clear, but the doctor did recommend he sit out at least a week and possibly two. Steve is not in denial in terms of this concussion issue. He will follow the medical advice. He obviously has tremendous opportunities for life after football and he's not going to endanger that, but he happens to love the game and he wants to play. Right now, his focus is on still making this a winning season. Frankly, he wanted to play this week, but I guarantee you he won't."[31]
It was reportedly his second concussion in a season that was only three weeks old, and at least the seventh of his career. Following the season, the 49ers concluded that Young would never be medically cleared to play again, and told him that he would be released if he did not retire. Although Young was offered a job as the starting quarterback of theDenver Broncos (where his former offensive coordinator, Mike Shanahan, was the head coach), he retired because of his repeated concussions.[35][36] In a 2013Frontline interview, Young said that, partially based upon their own experiences, he and many retired players are increasingly concerned about repeatedconcussions and subconcussive hits. Young is particularly concerned about certain positions that take frequent hits, such as running backs and linemen.[37]
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| 1984 | L.A. Express | 12 | 12 | 179 | 310 | 57.7 | 2,361 | 7.6 | 10 | 9 | 80.6 | 79 | 515 | 6.5 | 7 |
| 1985 | L.A. Express | 10 | 10 | 137 | 250 | 54.8 | 1,741 | 7.0 | 6 | 13 | 63.1 | 56 | 368 | 6.6 | 2 |
| Career | 22 | 22 | 316 | 560 | 56.4 | 4,102 | 7.3 | 16 | 22 | 72.8 | 135 | 883 | 6.5 | 9 | |
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| APNFL MVP | |
| AP NFL MVP &OPOTY | |
| Won theSuper Bowl | |
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Sacks | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Sck | SckY | Fum | Lost | ||
| 1985 | TB | 5 | 5 | 1–4 | 72 | 138 | 52.2 | 935 | 6.8 | 3 | 8 | 56.9 | 40 | 233 | 5.8 | 1 | 21 | 158 | 4 | 3 |
| 1986 | TB | 14 | 14 | 2–12 | 195 | 363 | 53.7 | 2,282 | 6.3 | 8 | 13 | 65.5 | 74 | 425 | 5.7 | 5 | 47 | 326 | 11 | 9 |
| 1987 | SF | 8 | 3 | 2–1 | 37 | 69 | 53.6 | 570 | 8.3 | 10 | 0 | 120.8 | 26 | 190 | 7.3 | 1 | 3 | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | SF | 11 | 3 | 2–1 | 54 | 101 | 53.5 | 680 | 6.7 | 3 | 3 | 72.2 | 27 | 184 | 6.8 | 1 | 13 | 75 | 5 | 3 |
| 1989 | SF | 10 | 3 | 3–0 | 64 | 92 | 69.6 | 1,001 | 10.9 | 8 | 3 | 120.8 | 38 | 126 | 3.3 | 2 | 12 | 84 | 2 | 1 |
| 1990 | SF | 6 | 1 | 0–1 | 38 | 62 | 61.3 | 427 | 6.9 | 2 | 0 | 92.6 | 15 | 159 | 10.6 | 0 | 8 | 41 | 1 | 1 |
| 1991 | SF | 11 | 10 | 5–5 | 180 | 279 | 64.5 | 2,517 | 9.0 | 17 | 8 | 101.8 | 66 | 415 | 6.3 | 4 | 13 | 79 | 3 | 2 |
| 1992 | SF | 16 | 16 | 14–2 | 268 | 402 | 66.7 | 3,465 | 8.6 | 25 | 7 | 107.0 | 76 | 537 | 7.1 | 4 | 29 | 152 | 9 | 6 |
| 1993 | SF | 16 | 16 | 10–6 | 314 | 462 | 68.0 | 4,023 | 8.7 | 29 | 16 | 101.5 | 69 | 407 | 5.9 | 2 | 31 | 160 | 8 | 6 |
| 1994 | SF | 16 | 16 | 13–3 | 324 | 461 | 70.3 | 3,969 | 8.6 | 35 | 10 | 112.8 | 58 | 293 | 5.1 | 7 | 31 | 163 | 4 | 3 |
| 1995 | SF | 11 | 11 | 8–3 | 299 | 447 | 66.9 | 3,200 | 7.2 | 20 | 11 | 92.3 | 50 | 250 | 5.0 | 3 | 25 | 115 | 3 | 3 |
| 1996 | SF | 12 | 12 | 9–3 | 214 | 316 | 67.7 | 2,410 | 7.6 | 14 | 6 | 97.2 | 52 | 310 | 6.0 | 4 | 34 | 160 | 3 | 2 |
| 1997 | SF | 15 | 15 | 12–3 | 241 | 356 | 67.7 | 3,029 | 8.5 | 19 | 6 | 104.7 | 50 | 199 | 4.0 | 3 | 35 | 220 | 4 | 2 |
| 1998 | SF | 15 | 15 | 11–4 | 322 | 517 | 62.3 | 4,170 | 8.1 | 36 | 12 | 101.1 | 70 | 454 | 6.5 | 6 | 48 | 234 | 9 | 8 |
| 1999 | SF | 3 | 3 | 2–1 | 45 | 84 | 53.6 | 446 | 5.3 | 3 | 4 | 60.9 | 11 | 57 | 5.2 | 0 | 8 | 63 | 2 | 2 |
| Career | 169 | 143 | 94–49 | 2,667 | 4,149 | 64.3 | 33,124 | 8.0 | 232 | 107 | 96.8 | 722 | 4,239 | 5.9 | 43 | 358 | 2,055 | 68 | 49 | |
Although Young did not become the 49ers' first-string quarterback until his seventh NFL season, and he played a full season only thrice (all consecutively) during his 15-year career, Young had a significant impact on the NFL. A two-time league MVP, he completed 2,667 of 4,149 passes for 33,124 yards and 232 touchdowns, with 107 interceptions and 43 rushing touchdowns. Young's 96.8 careerpasser rating is thetwelfth highest in NFL history and fourth highest among retired players, behindTony Romo,Tom Brady, andDrew Brees. Young's 4,239 rushing yards are thesixth most ever gained by a quarterback, behindMichael Vick,Cam Newton,Russell Wilson,Lamar Jackson, andRandall Cunningham. At the time of his retirement, Young had the highest career passer rating ever, and only trailed Cunningham in rushing yards for a quarterback. He was the NFL's top rated passer in six different seasons and led the league in touchdown passes four times. In 20 postseason games, Young threw 20 touchdown passes with only 13 interceptions, and scored eight touchdowns on the ground. During his stint with the 49ers, Young passed for 29,907 yards, 221 touchdowns, and 86 interceptions, with a passer rating of 101.4, highest in franchise history. He was also sacked 290 times, also most in franchise history. From October 20, 1991, to October 1, 2023, Young held the franchise's highest single game completion rate of 90%, which he set against theDetroit Lions, until it was bested byBrock Purdy's 95.2% against theArizona Cardinals.[38]
In 1999, Young was ranked No. 63 onThe Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. Young was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on February 5, 2005; he was the firstleft-handed quarterback to be so honored.[42] Young was enshrined August 7, 2005, and his induction speech was given by his father, LeGrande "Grit" Young.
The San Francisco 49ers had his No. 8 jersey retired during a halftime ceremony against the New England Patriots on October 5, 2008. Young was the 11th player in team history to receive this honor.[43] He is also the only 49er in team history to wear No. 8.[44]
In 1994, Young earned aJuris Doctor(J.D.) from BYU'sJ. Reuben Clark Law School.[51]
In 2000, Young gave the opening prayer at theRepublican National Convention.[52]
In 2007, Young co-foundedHuntsman Gay Global Capital (HGGC) with billionaire industrialistJon M. Huntsman and formerBain Capital executiveRobert C. Gay. After being involved in business ventures with the private equity firm, Young continued to serve as a managing director.[53]
In 2011, Young was one of several notable BYU athletes and coaches who appeared in the school's "Real Cougar" advertising campaign, which featured the individuals telling an actualcougar about being a "real cougar". In one of the ads, Young poked fun at himself:[54]
As of 2022, Young has been serving as chairman of the board for Integrity Marketing Group[55] and his private equity firm, Huntsman Gay Global Capital, held a position in the partnership.[56]
Young has both performed dramatic roles and appeared as himself in a limited acting career. He appeared in one episode ofFrasier and one episode ofLois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (cast as Lois' former high school football quarterback boyfriend, Joe Maloy).[57] He also made a guest appearance as himself in theDharma & Greg episode "Are You Ready for Some Football?" encouraging Dharma, the team's Number One Fan. In 1995, Young appeared as himself in the Season 6, Episode 12 episode ofBeverly Hills, 90210. He also made cameo appearances in theLDS comedyThe Singles Ward (2002) and in a season 5 episode ofBYUtv'sStudio C (2014). Young also made a guest appearance as himself in season 8 of theNBC comedy seriesWings in the episode "Just Call Me Angel".
Young was supposed to receive a part in the 1998 movieThere's Something About Mary - a role specifically written for him - but he turned it down. Instead it went toBrett Favre.[58]
Young was laid off by ESPN on June 30, 2023, after being a fixture on ESPN's NFL studio shows, including “NFL Countdown,” for more than two decades. He was part of a round of layoffs that included many notable on-air personalities.[59]
Young serves as a National Advisor toASCEND: A Humanitarian Alliance. This non-profit organization plans expeditions to African and South American countries to provide life skills mentoring with sustainable solutions in education, enterprise, health and simple technology.[60]
In 1993, Young founded a charitable foundation known as theForever Young Foundation, which serves children facing significant physical, emotional, and financial challenges by providing academic, athletic, and therapeutic opportunities otherwise unavailable to them.[61][62]
Young also serves as the national spokesman for an organization founded by former Save Darfur Coalition executive director and founder, David Rubenstein.[63] Young began his affiliation with the organization in 2009, when he became the honorary league commissioner for their charitable dodgeball tournaments held on college campuses nationwide.[64][65]
Young is a member ofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS Church).[66] He is a great-great-great-grandson ofBrigham Young,[67] secondpresident of the LDS Church, for whom BYU is named.
While at BYU, Young was a passenger in a car crash in which the driver, a family friend named Jill Simmons, died.[68][69][70][71] It is unclear if the driver had fallen asleep, or if she had died of an aneurysm, in advance of the crash.[72][73]
Young married his wife, Barbara Graham, in 2000. They have two sons and two daughters.[74] According toA Football Life, because his playing career ended before his eldest child was born, Young wrote his autobiography,QB: My Life Behind the Spiral, initially as a private memoir for his children. The book was published in 2016, with writerJeff Benedict as coauthor.[75]
Young resides in theSan Francisco Bay Area.[76]
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