Trey Lance is going through the same thing. He has gotten on the field this season, but not often. And he hasn't thrown a pass in a game since Week 5. The plan was always to start Jimmy Garoppolo and let the rookie sit and learn behind the more-experienced quarterback. Young understands that plan but feels it could be a wasted opportunity for Lance if he isn't attacking the situation with the right mindset.
"First of all, you learn by watching. I get that," Young reluctantly admitted this week on KNBR's Tolbert, Krueger & Brooks show. "But for me, for my career, for me, those were lost years. What I learned (while) watching was amazing, but I didn't need those years. I look at those as kind of maybe (needing) one year to kind of really get a handle on things, but those are lost years for me."
Young has some advice for Lance, the No. 3 overall draft pick who, right now, is going through a similar situation of awaiting his chance. The Hall of Fame quarterback turned ESPN analyst, while sitting behind Montana, did everything he could to prepare to start, even if his number was never called.
"Trey, plan on starting against Cincinnati," Young said as if he were speaking to the 49ers rookie directly. "... And I mean literally it's happening, and you're going to prepare, and study, and memorize, and you're going to go through the rigors of everything you need to do. Turn the TV off on Thursday, Friday, Saturday night. I'm going to go through it again, and again, and again because I've got to be ready to play.
"And then it's really frustrating, by the way, when Sunday rolls around, and you don't play. You're just like [groan]. Then you've got to run wind sprints. I was always [running] wind sprints at the end of the game just to try to get a sweat up just to make myself feel like it was worth it.
"But it was in that discipline that you can actually get better by not playing, and that's the only way to do it. Otherwise, if you're just wondering, watching, kind of like, 'Hey, that was interesting.' Screw that. That's not going to help you. That's just a waste of time. Trey can be wasting a year here unless he's digging into preparing as if he's going to play."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Young below.
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
Steve Young: 49ers have little choice but to pay Brock Purdy
It's widely expected that the San Francisco 49ers will make quarterback Brock Purdy one of the NFL's highest-paid players. Whether he deserves to be paid like an elite quarterback is still up for debate—especially among the media and the fanbase. However, Hall of Fame... -
ESPN lists several 49ers D-linemen as potential cap casualties
The San Francisco 49ers could once again look to revamp their defensive line. They attempted to do so last year with some underwhelming results. As a unit, the 49ers' defense earned a 68.1 pass rush grade from Pro Football Focus, ranking 18th in the NFL. Their run defense grade... -
Potential 49ers draft target shines as one of the Combine's biggest risers
Missouri offensive tackle Armand Membou put his athleticism on full display at the NFL Scouting Combine, looking like the type of prospect the San Francisco 49ers could covet. Longtime ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. released his list of the biggest risers from the Combine,... -
Report: 49ers emerging as popular potential destination for top D-linemen
The San Francisco 49ers are looking to strengthen their defensive line this offseason, whether through free agency or the more cost-effective NFL Draft. With quarterback Brock Purdy set to take up a larger portion of the salary cap in future years, the 49ers aren't expected to...