Fansided

20 best quarterback seasons in NFL history

By Russell S. Baxter

PALO ALTO, CA - JANUARY 20: Joe Montana
PALO ALTO, CA - JANUARY 20: Joe Montana /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
17 of 20
Next
San Francisco 49er quarterback Steve Young points towards the sky 29 January 1995 after throwing his third touchdown pass against the San Diego Chargers during Super Bowl XXIX in Miami. The 49ers lead the Chargers 28-10 at halftime. (COLOR KEY:Red jersey) AFP PHOTO (Photo by Timothy A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
San Francisco 49er quarterback Steve Young points towards the sky 29 January 1995 after throwing his third touchdown pass against the San Diego Chargers during Super Bowl XXIX in Miami. The 49ers lead the Chargers 28-10 at halftime. (COLOR KEY:Red jersey) AFP PHOTO (Photo by Timothy A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images) /

4. Steve Young, 49ers (1994)

Call it “the monkey off my back” season for the Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback. When the San Francisco 49ers traded for former USFL standout (Los Angeles Express) and former Buccaneers signal-caller Steve Young in 1987, there were certainly some eyebrows raised, and perhaps one pair in particular. That’s because head coach Bill Walsh still had quarterback Joe Montana at his disposal at the time.

Fast forward to 1994. Young was now firmly entrenched as the Niners’ starter and Montana was in his second season in Kansas City. After George Seifert’s club came up short in the NFC title games in both 1992 and 1993, the organization took full advantage of free agency in ‘94 and the club was loaded on both sides of the ball.

Still, there would be questions about Young. The team went to Arrowhead Stadium in Week 2 and lost to Montana and the Chiefs. A few weeks later, San Francisco was rolled at home by the Eagles, 40-8. There was a frustrated Young on the sidelines.

However, all’s well that ends well. Young’s 16-game totals saw him throw for 3,969 yards and 35 scores with only 10 interceptions. He connected on 70.3 of his passes. He ran for 293 yards and seven touchdowns.

San Francisco was electric during the postseason, scoring a combined 131 points in a three-game sweep of the Bears, Cowboys, and Chargers. Young threw a Super Bowl record six TD passes vs. the Bolts (XXIX), completing a postseason that saw him throw for a combined 752 yards and 10 scores without an interception.

Home/NFL