Jerry Rice opens up about Joe Montana's injury that led to Steve Young taking his job. He talks about adjusting to a new lefty QB, and how he felt for Joe after that happened. #undeniable #49ers #nfl
My favorite Jerry Rice moment wasn't on the field. It was on the sideline. It was his first game on the sideline after an injury that put him out for the season. At one point in the game a TV cameraman focused in Rice. Jerry was in street clothes and wearing dark sunglass with a single tear streaking down his face. He hated being out of the game so much.
Aikman wasn't lying. The controversy at QB had more to do with George Seifert after he took over for Bill Walsh. He shut down any chance Joe could play after coming back from injury. Joe just asked for a chance to compete. The 49ers owner DeBartolo stepped in and told Seifert to let them compete. Joe thanked DeBartolo, but walked. This was about as bad as when the Cowboys Jimmy Johnson left and Barry Switzer came in. Both Seifert and Switzer took over teams loaded with talent and won Super Bowls. Both would fail miserably later. I believe if Joe stayed he would have delivered another ring or two. He wasn't that much older than Young. He took the Chiefs to the AFC Championship and beat the 49ers in the regular season.
I agree , and what bothers me most is whenever the media talks about those great niners teams they mention Montana and Young almost equally as if their accomplishments and super bowls were the same. Joe won 4 S.B. Young 1and if not for the Craig fumble they probably would have 3 peat. JOE was a legend and this is coming from a Giants fan.
Joe was in the NFL a long time. He understood the business. I think what upset him was the way in which the 49’ers handled it. He meant so much to the franchise and yet they tossed him out like trash. The dignified thing to would have been to trade him and let him compete for a job with another team. Sitting him on the bench and not allowing him a chance to compete for the job was a trash move. Starting him the last game of the season just to give potential trading partners a look at him was trash too. Only letting him on the field for the sole purpose of creating trade interest is a pretty degrading way to get rid of a legend imo.
I first started watching the NFL in the late 80’s when it was first shown in the U.K. saw this man and thought he was good. I had no idea what I was seeing. My favourite player ever. Pure class
Yes, impressive to watch...I'm a Packer fan... look up some old Barry sanders and Walter Peyton... coolest stuff, no showboating... the best.... awesome role models, and community first people...
I remember the game Aikman’s referring to. Back then, they allowed a MNF game to the last game of the season (92), and that was Joe’s first and only start that year (49ers had already secured home field by that point). 49ers beat the Lions 24-6. It was his last game as 49er (can’t remember if they were playing at home).
Jerry says that a quarterback shouldn't lose their job to injury, and then it'd happen again to another 49ers quarterback that was red hot before getting injured, Alex Smith in 2012.
@@TheShepdawg9what's more funny that a simple search would've answered your question without having to type lol. Yes, he was on fire. 18-19 with 3 touchdowns his 2nd to last game with Niners on Monday night against Cardinals. 7-8 in the game he got injured against Rams, which was his final game. I say 26 for your last 28 is white hot.
@@JudaMetalMaidenAlex was playing great before he was traded, but let’s not kid ourselves - he had major limitations. And if Alex was red hot, so was kaep, who finished the season with better stats.
@@dustierbottoms The POINT IS WHY ALEX AND JOE LOST THEIR JOBS-INJURIES. Love Steve but he wasn’t Joe. That said, by 1994 Joe wasn’t better by a significant margin and he wouldn’t have started over Steve. Also, Alex carried on his renaissance with KC until Patrick arrived. He just didn’t lose his job bc of injuries, but bc Patrick was just better.
@@eazye519 Is there a metric you use to define that, or do you just put a box around his accomplishments and call those "the best"? Kareem has more MVPs, Bill Russell has more rings, LeBron has points and minutes and a bunch of other stuff that comes from consistency and longevity. Jordan has six rings, six Finals MVPs, five MVPs, RoTY, DPoY, 14 All-Star Appearances, 10 Scoring Titles. That's unbelievable. So usually the closest thing I get to a metric argument is "Perfect Championship Record + MVP of every Finals he was in + Scoring titles + MVPs, DPoY At Least Once" It just seems to be constructed so that even if one plank falls - even if someone were to go to eight straight Finals and win seven of those, losing one instantly disqualifies them, as does not being the primary scorer. In contrast, you look at Wayne Gretzky who only has four rings but who presently holds over 61 NHL records and has more assists than the next leading scorer in history has points. Brady you point to the rings. Gretzky you point to the records. Jordan as I said though, it seems you need to build a case for.
If you look at the amount of championships Brady had when Montana left 49ers its the same as Brady at that same age. Main difference in the two is that Brady didn't have many injuries due to rule changes and was able to play like 10 more seasons
That Leonard Marshall hit essentially was the last play for Joe Montana with the 49ers. Yes, I know he played one more game against the Lions in 1992, but that it essentially put Steve Young in the driver's seat. Montana with that elbow injury was the final nail in the coffin for George Seifert to have an excuse to trade Montana away. George Seifert was the big guy that allowed players like Roger Craig, Ronnie Lott, and others to go in free agency to other teams.
Those injuries Montana suffered in his career is the reason why I he became my favorite childhood QB! Joe came back from a lot of awful injuries: back surgery, neck injury and elbow injury! I would love to see Mahomes come back from the elbow and back surgery like Joe did and finish a hall of fame career. That's what I call God-like!!
True. Joe was not only concussed, but had fractured ribs and a severely bruised sternum. He was in so much pain he didn’t even realize it for awhile that he also had 2 broken fingers. Of course, later in training camp the next season was when the elbow blew up on him, but one wonders if that Marshall hit didn’t losen something in that elbow joint.
True. Joe was not only concussed, but had fractured ribs and a severely bruised sternum. He was in so much pain he didn’t even realize it for awhile that he also had 2 broken fingers. Of course, later in training camp the next season was when the elbow blew up on him, but one wonders if that Marshall hit didn’t losen something in that elbow joint.
True. Joe was not only concussed, but had fractured ribs and a severely bruised sternum. He was in so much pain he didn’t even realize it for awhile that he also had 2 broken fingers. Of course, later in training camp the next season was when the elbow blew up on him, but one wonders if that Marshall hit didn’t losen something in that elbow joint.
I always thought and still do, that Joe should of at the very least had a chance to get his job back. Im a niner fan for life. But I didnt like the way the organization treated Joe Montana after he got blind sided on the field and off the field, he is a legend.
Being a Raiders fan, I hated the 49ers. But I loved Joe Montana because I'm also a Notre Dame fan. When the Niners treated Joe like that, it solidified my hatred of them. I actually rooted for the Cowboys in those NFC Championship "Superbowls", and when Young finally got the monkey off of his back, I vomited in my mouth a little. It got so bad, bro, that I actually rooted for the Chiefs in the revenge game. Don't tell nobody that, tho 😂
Yup. Obviously most will say that Brady is the GOAT, and for good reason, the championships speak for themselves but if I had one game to win and I could choose any QB, it would be Joe Montana all day, every day.
@@f.t.sgoldtron7442Brady certainly has more rings. But if you had to win one game, my guess is more would pick Montana. Why? The 16-0 patriots were a 12.5 pt favorites against those giants. What did Brady do as the heavy favorites? Lost 17-14. He’s 0-2 against Eli manning in the big game. Niners were a 12pt favorite against the broncos. Montana lit them up for 5TDs winning 55-10.
Hey, Joe Buck, a lot of us thought the 49ers were insane starting Young over Montana. It cost them a ring that year. Trading Montana may have cost them another ring the next year too.
I don’t watch the NFL anymore and haven’t for a couple decades. But now, I don’t watch an NFL game on RU-vid past Montana’s last game with the 49ers in 1992. The sport is dead to me after that game.😘
Your nuts. Steve owned the NFL 92-98. The 9ers were still a shoe in for the NFC championship game every year the entire 8 years and most of the worlds fav to win the SB. The Cowboys did NOT beat the 9ers those 2 years, the 9ers beat themselves. I remember 1 of those games Terry Kirby had 3 fumbles (2 on punt returns and 1 @ RB)-They beat themselves and Steve had nothing to do with it. He played great in both games. Come on now
@@slabbyfatback2272 Thanks for the trolling insult. A little background on where I’m coming from. 1994 was probably the last season I wasn’t either overseas for the military, or wasn’t over the road for trucking (I got my CDL in 1998). Joe Montana was better than Steve Young. He wasn’t mobile like Young, but he was smarter and a better passer. In 1994 they went head to head. Montana came out on top. Here’s a great video on that matchup ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-O6grDmr0x70.htmlsi=jri1SNOPczhc7eOT
@@semipenguin You are 100% dead on accurate 🎯 Starting Young over Montana was incomprehensible to me at the time. The Niners lost a ring or two for that disaster. Dallas went into Candlestick and blew them out, as Young did his usual playoff disappearance.
Nah those cowboys teams were better, even if Young did play better they probably still would have lost. Joe also was injury prone by that point. He didn’t play a full season after 1989.
@@semipenguin Joe wasn't a better passer-Just look at the #s. #'s don't lie. People always say that because of Joes greatness and I get it because he was great but to say he was a better passer than Young just isn't so. Again, Steve won the passing title 6 out of the 7 years he started after Joe. Joe never put up #s good enough to do that. As far as their head to head match up, Derrick Thomas won that game for Joe. He was in his prime and a game wrecker and he torched 9er Oline that day and was in Steves face every down. Dude was the best (RIP Derrick)
“Never lose your job to an injury” he’s nuts. Steve rise was why Jerry had almost an even better career after Joe left. He’s so ungrateful man it’s insane.
I get Jerry is joking but Joe was a hall of famer before jerry’s rookie year having won 2 superbowls and 2 SB MVPs without Jerry. He should show the man more respect and not misrepresent his career.
I think Joe didn’t lose his job because of injury, I think he lost his job to Steve because of age. Back then quarterbacks were hit hard and that takes a toll on a person’s body. Going with Steve once he was ready allowed the 49ers to win another championship and be one of the top teams throughout the 90s. Even Steve Young had to hang it up because of the concussions. The 49ers moved on from a lot of their great players because of age…they did the same thing to Lott, Craig, and Jerry.
@@DecayUNCUT Yeah, I know its his opinion. However, Jerry's opinion has more credibility b/c he was actually in the locker room with these guys. You don't think Jerry knows what he is talking about?
I felt the exact same way. Montana had plenty left to give and was tossed to way side. I love Young but this was one of the most disappointing decision NINERS ever made.
The game where Young and 4 of 5 olinemen missing? I dont remember Joe leading KC to the SB to rematch All Pro, League MVP, SB MVP Steve YOung@@m.dorado6966
Young would've left in free agency or demanded a trade if he had to continue being a backup, and the 49ers would've most likely become a mediocre team throughout the 2nd half of the 90's. Montana was retired by the end of the '94 season.
For whatever it’s worth - Joe Montana played in a different era. An era where defensive players could REALLY hit QBs much harder. Go back and look at the hit that Joe took from Jim Burt (1986 playoffs). Or the hit that Joe took from Leonard Marshall (1990 playoffs). “Technically”, those were all considered legal hits… But can you imagine what would happen if certain “marquee QBs” took THOSE same kinds of hits in today’s NFL? Heck, sometimes it seems as though if you simply breathe on a QB the wrong way - it’s an automatic 15 yard penalty! Yes, I realize that they’re trying to make the game safer. Especially, for “marquee QBs” (because they draw TV ratings). Having said all that - had Joe not taken some of those big hits (which were allowed back then), perhaps he could’ve played a bit longer. Yes, the Dallas Cowboys had a GREAT team back in the 1990s. However, (IMO) had Joe played in that 1992 NFC Championship game (in San Francisco), my gut tells me that the 49ers (probably) would’ve won that game and then beaten Buffalo in the Super Bowl. And that 1994 San Francisco 49ers team? Please. That team’s roster was so loaded (especially on defense) that Joe probably could’ve won that year’s Super Bowl VERY easily… Yes, Tom Brady’s resume makes him the GOAT. Absolutely no question about it. However, if I had to pick one QB “in his prime” to win one BIG game (with big money on the line) I’m taking Joe Montana.
The truth is that the rules have changed so much that nobody who played before 2000 could ever become GOAT. 7 titles? Back then 7 seasons was a career, if you were lucky. I don't say that to denigrate Tom Brady, at all, just to point out there's really no comparing between these eras.
@@54321dmsk And wasn't Montana that said in an interview. When ask who is the GOAT. Him or Brady. Didn't Montana say. Nether, the GOAT played in Miami. Marino
@@54321dmsk guys still faced that in the 2000s. Romo for instance was demolished by big hits weekly, which is why he only played 127 games. It's just the league protected only Brady for many years. By the 2010s everyone was protected, but in the 2000s it was only Brady. The nfl pampered and pushed Brady, probably because of his elitist billionaire daddy.
Once they knew what they had in Young they should've traded Montana for approximately all of the value. It was clear by his 2nd year or so what he was. Or they should've stuck with Montana and traded Young. Its just that the mindset then was more about stocking and hoarding as much talent as possible.
backup quarterbacks used to play a lot more often back then. kind of like this '23 season was. having a solid, let alone productive, backup qb was essential do some research, you'll understand what i mean
@@Adamdidit sit down? Of course we're both already sitting, considering we're using a computer, rofl. You fucking bone head, lol. Anyway, just reread my previous comment, that's all you need to know. And drop the attitude, sonny, no need to get so upset with facts
Lol no. Montana was a real winner whike young simply showed that many qbs could put up good numbers in that system. I prefer to look at Youngs 2 years with tampa bay. Straight trash
Jerry is the GOAT in my view but these players get ridiculous. Joe should have gotten a chance to win his spot back? Who says? If the owner or the general manager or the coach don’t want you in that spot anymore for whatever reason, they run the show
I bet interviewing is quite a bit easier to do - because you can prepare for it. You can prepare to call a game to a certain extent, but the majority of what you do is reactionary rather than prepared. It's that way in an interview to an extent, but far more reactionary in a live sporting event - especially when you aren't involved in the sporting event. When you're an interviewer, you have control in that interview, so that makes it easier as well.
Joe is the Niner GOAT but we must need to understand that Joe is oft injured after the back to back SBs. So they chose a healthier Young. Not as good as Montana but healthier. And besides its a little downgrade but a very very very little downgrade. Young kept the Niner tradition of winning well into the mid 90s.
I agree with him that an injury shouldn't cost you your job ... unless your replacement is clearly better. Montana shouldn't have lost his starting role, and the Colts shouldn't have traded away Peyton Manning.
They were going to have to either trade Montana or Young, logic says go with the younger guy (so to speak) with no major surgeries and career threatening injuries. Montana hung it up after 94, Steve played till 1997, but was far less injury prone till that final couple of years.
Young was more talented. And Peyton just came off 4 neck surgeries while Colts started having a terrible oline. Peyton was to old to play behind that Colts oline. They did Peyton a favor.
I'll never understand why Rice always favored Joe Montana to Steve Young, despite the fact that Young threw more TD passes to him (92 to 67). Rice also had a better TD-to-reception ratio with Young.
@@thecensoredmuscle563 What about the Packers though? Montana would have beat Favre 3/4 times at least. Young lost three straight years to Favre before finally getting one over him. Then only to lose to the Falcons.
I'm sure it came down to the money. They won Superbowl's with both of them.////// Montana, Young ,and Bono three very good quarter backs on one team. May come down to who was younger faster, stronger. ?????
I remember this as a kid. I grew up a niner fan. Was too young to understand the business of the game. When they traded Montana, my childhood heart wouldn’t let me be a 49er fan ever again. Was in between teams when I finally settled on being a Cowboy fan. Now I hate football 😂
@@paulsolon6229Yes. And it shouldn’t be narcissistic self-love, which is,what the last two generations of,the U.S. have. It destroys others and yourself
Rice just repeats stale talking points about players not losing their starting jobs due to injury. Steve Young had multiple SBs and MVPs. I guess the Patriots should’ve ignored Tom Brady’s success, and gone back to Drew Bledsoe.
Jerry definitely put Young into the HOF. Steve literally did nothing without Rice. But Joe Montana.... he was already That Guy, with or without Rice. Unbelievable composure in the clutch and the ability to make throws under the heaviest scrutiny of the defense. If I want the ball in the hands of one guy to get the win, I'm going with Brady. However, if I want one guy with the ball with my life on the line, give me Montana.
Jerry put Steve into the HOF? Dude, Steve's career was basically 8 years (as starter for 9ers, 92-98). He did start in 99 but got hurt in week 4 where they were 3-0. After he got injured/retired they were NEVER the same and Jerry was still playing!! Who put who in the HOF?? After he was gone and Jerry was still there the team took a nose dive!! I love Jerry and I hate u for making me dis him like this but he did NOT put Steve in the HOF. In that short 8 year period Steve got voted All Pro 7 times, 2 MVPs, 1 Offensive player of the year, 3 passing titles, led the league in QBR all 8 years (and when he played it was against the best, so many Legends from that time)and 1 SB MVP!!! They were a shoe in for the NFC Championship game every year the entire 8 years!! The team fell apart after he got hurt and had to retire but Jerry remained and they never got close to where they were with Steve. Wake up
@@slabbyfatback2272 Jerry was in years 15 and 16 when Young retired you goof ball. Jerry was at the tail end of his career. Jerry showed by going to Oakland that he could still produce without Young. Wtf did Young do before Rice and the West coast offense? Oh yeah, be a scrub QB that couldn't win games. Steve Young absolutely choked every post-season outside of 94' while Rice still got his numbers. If Young couldn't get it to Rice, it was game over. Look up Young's post-season games and stats. He was trash.
@@QuestionEverything562 U just hit the nail on the head. Without a great QB, Rice didn't do chit. His couple years with Jeff (after Steve retired) u didn't hear a peep from him, then he goes to Raiders and gets Rich throwing to him and all of a sudden u hear from him again. Just stop, u making a dam fool out ya self
@@QuestionEverything562 I was there in the 90s. U can talk all the nonsense u want but the #s don't lie, there was NOT a better QB in the 90s than Steve Young. End of story To this day, the #s he put up in that 8 year stretch is unmatched. Off the charts!! That's y he was a 1st ballot HOFer
While i thought it WAS odd at the time - it made sense for the 49ers to go this route. They were paying a starting salary to Young all the while he waited in the wings plus Joe had trade value at the time. Better to get something for Joe then lose him to free agency.
@@PT-vv3ep No, actually I did see him play, and I called him overrated because I undertand football. In fact, some analysts only began to notice Barry Sanders's obvious deficiencies as a player after he retired, while I pointed them out all along.
I was happy about Steve taking over from Joe as well, those 5 fumbles he gave us along with a super bowl win I will always cherish especially seeing how it's gone the last 30 years lol
The CATCH and PASS involved Dwight Clark and Joe Montana. Referencing Chemistry with Joe like Montana could've been Rice's Girlfriend and acting like he made Montana's Career communicates who Jerry Rice isnt. I agree, Joe shouldve been given The Respect to compete for the job after he recovered from injury. Props in that regard.
Just goes to show that no matter how much you produce for a franchise like Montana did, in the end you'll always be expendable. But Montana's still the 🐐 no matter what.
I can understand Jerry's loyalty but he's wrong. A 36 year vs the 31 year old reigning MVP who is liable to find himself a new team if he's not the starter.
Jerry's the GOAT receiver, but even Ochocinco with his heart-shaped shades and tacky purple coat with Versace logos plastered all over it has better fashion sense.... those basketball shoes don't go with a coat and tie.... please!!!
When you talking about whose the G.O.A.T just remember Brady never got benched for his backup, his team didn't win a SB with his backup, his HC was fired shortly after moving on from him, and Brady won a SB with his 2nd team....G.O.A.T Brady
i was little watching the falcons get blown out everytime and steve young was scarier cause he would run for first downs too. they were unstoppable it was over by the 2nd quarter
No Montana by far should have had that job and everybody knows it. Okay, that's the difference between the 40 nineers. Probably having seven super bubbles and stuck at five
Revisionist history. Steve Young was definitely better than Montana at that point. Look at what happened afterwards. Young went to many NFC championship games and won a Super Bowl. KC was a lower playoff team. It was time to make the switch.
Montana was better than Brady ever was. What Montana would have accomplished under the same set of rules Brady plays under would have never been eclipsed. He almost took KC to a Super Bowl and had he been able to stay with the 49ers, it's doubtful that Dallas repeats in 92 and 93. He would have likely beaten Dallas one or both of those NFC title games and went on to beat Buffalo at least once; maybe twice in the Super Bowl. Elway was better than Brady too.
If Montana had stayed healthy Niners would have won at least 2-3 more SB's...Steve young was great but he performed very mediocre in some of the big Playoff games.