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Steve Young and Jerry Rice were known for developing a strong connection together during their 13 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.
Well, they connected again and shared the same thought: Their thoughts on the 2021 49ers.
And as one delivered zero warm praise, the other immediately agreed.
Young appeared on the Wednesday, November 10 edition of the ‘Tolbert, Krueger and Brooks Show” on KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM and delivered samples of the conversation he and his former go-to receiver had about the ‘Niners.
“We had a little ‘Forever Young’ charity thing and Jerry Rice came by,” Young said on the show. “And Jerry was also at the game. I go, ‘What do you think?”
And what was Rice’s response that got Young nodding and agreeing?
“He goes, ‘There’s no dogs.’ And I got to interpret that,” Young said. “There’s no dogs on there.”
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Young Says Leadership Isn’t There
Young and Rice’s 49ers sit at 3-5 overall following the dismal 31-17 loss at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals — the same Cardinals team that played without starting quarterback Kyler Murray and their top two receiving targets De’Andre Hopkins and A.J. Green.
Young previously made remarks about the state of the 49ers’ locker room and how it was “fraught with terror.”
Once again, he made references to that area of the 49ers and questioned the player leadership.
“I’m talking about a leadership committee that happens naturally, it’s organic,” Young said. “And there are certain personalities that it’s made up of, ‘over my dead’ body kind of guys, the guys that have the grit, that have the moral authority to turn, at anytime as a group or individually, to the rest of the 50 guys and declare the truth or the moment.”
Grittiness is a Need
Young believes that from top to bottom, the talent is there on the 2021 ‘Niners roster.
“There’s nothing wrong individually,” Young mentioned. “Great talent, great people, all that stuff. But as a group, as a collective, they’re missing that thing that pulls everyone.”
Again, Young mentioned the 49ers’ biggest strength in 2019: The locker room.
“When they went to the Super Bowl, it was because of the locker room,” Young said. “You can say, ‘Oh it’s because of the great play calling, it was because of this great pass rush.’ Yes and yes, but mostly about the people.”
Young then used a Steve Kerr/Steph Curry reference on how Kerr said in a recent KNBR interview that Curry’s grittiness, not 3-point talent, is what usually keeps the Golden State Warriors in basketball games.
“Steve Kerr was talking about the grit of Steph Curry. Not the talent, not the scoring ability. There’s a grittiness that everybody responds to. There’s a sense like ‘I don’t want to let down Steph. You’re going to get every inch of me, every second, every time and every ounce of me,'” Young described. “And that’s where you get concerned with the team — when they have the moment and they don’t respond.”
Now, the 49ers — also 0-4 at home — will face the last team they beat at Levi’s Stadium but will have a 7-2 record in tow: The Los Angeles Rams.
“And here we are with the last stand. It really is,” Young said. “If we lose this week, we’re 3-6 and it becomes very, very difficult to get righted.”
The entire segment can be listened to here.
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