Steve Young Breaks Silence on San Francisco 49ers’ Trade for 6-Time Pro Bowler

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SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 03: Former quarterback Steve Young of the San Francisco 49ers looks on prior to a game against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium on January 03, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

The San Francisco 49ers made one last splash before Tuesday’s trade deadline, acquiring veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen from the Indianapolis Colts.

San Francisco sent the Colts a 2027 sixth-round pick for Allen, who now joins an injury-riddled but talented wide receiver room.

Allen, 34, is in his 14th NFL season. Over the course of his career, he has hauled in 1,095 receptions for 12,402 yards and 71 touchdowns while earning six Pro Bowl selections.

Steve Young Breaks Silence on Allen Trade

Appearing on KNBR for his usual weekly segment, NFL Hall of Famer and 49ers legend Steve Young was asked about the team’s decision to add Allen to the offense.

“It feels heavy because you know obviously doing that means that we are not at full strength and maybe might not get to full strength,” said Young. “So I think the airs a little heavy because of that. That’s fine… this is a unique place where somehow Kyle [Shanahan] is able to get the most out of everybody. And it’s an art, it’s a beautiful thing, so Keenan Allen showing up, a guy that’s a veteran, you know a lot of places you’d think we’re just band-aids, band-aids… so in that way, even though it feels heavy because we need to do, I feel like Kyle figures it out… So I think that gives us all the kind of hope that Keenan Allen can come out and do that.”

Check out the exclusive full interview with Steve Young and Jerry Rice!

– Niners dominant win over Raiders
– Super Bowl favorites?
– Stories from time as teammates

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— KNBR (@KNBR) November 11, 2026

Injury Concerns Surrounding Mike Evans

The addition of Allen raises questions about the health of fellow veteran wide receiver Mike Evans.

Evans has missed each of the last two games with Achilles tendinitis, spanning the last three weeks with San Francisco’s bye in between. As of Wednesday’s practice, he remains week-to-week, which likely means he won’t play Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys unless something unexpected changes.

Without Evans, the 49ers’ offense certainly isn’t at full strength, but it remains highly productive. The hope is that Allen can help fill the void, even if he can’t completely replace Evans’ contributions.