Steve Young Jokes About NFL Comeback at 64 - But Is There a Hint of Truth in the Throwback?
On a night when the San Francisco 49ers steamrolled the Indianapolis Colts under the bright lights of Monday Night Football, the scoreboard wasn’t the only thing lighting up the conversation. The real buzz came from the broadcast booth to the Bay Area and beyond: Philip Rivers, at 44 years old and five years into retirement, was back under center - and playing well.
Naturally, Rivers’ surprise return stirred the pot. We've seen whispers before - Tom Brady’s name always seems to hover around the “unretirement” rumor mill - but this time, a different name entered the chat. And it’s one that made fans do a double take.
Steve Young. Yes, that Steve Young.
The Hall of Famer, Super Bowl champion, and one of the most electric dual-threat quarterbacks the league has ever seen, recently floated the idea - albeit playfully - of stepping back onto the field. Speaking with the San Francisco Chronicle, Young didn’t exactly say he was lacing up the cleats again, but he did offer this gem:
“I absolutely feel confident that I could take the snap, run the screen game, throw a ball in the flat, maybe throw a slant. It’s not like, ‘put on the pads and go play.’
Still, if it was Hunger Games? If they said, you had to do this or die?
Yeah, you could pull off something.”
Sure, it’s tongue-in-cheek. But there’s something about hearing a 64-year-old Hall of Famer talk about stepping back into the huddle that makes you pause - even if just for a second.
Let’s be clear: Steve Young last played in the NFL in 1999. That’s 26 years ago.
To put that in perspective, many of today’s players weren’t even born when Young threw his final NFL pass. The league has changed dramatically - faster, more complex, more physically demanding.
And yet, here’s Young, casually suggesting he could still manage a screen pass or fire a slant route if the situation really called for it.
And if you know anything about Steve Young, you know he’s not completely joking. This is a guy whose competitive fire never really went out.
He was drafted in the first round of the 1984 Supplemental Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, made his name in San Francisco, and walked away from the game after a storied career that earned him a gold jacket in Canton. But clearly, the quarterback instincts - and confidence - never left.
Young doesn’t pretend he could do what he once did. He’s not claiming he could escape pressure like he used to or launch 50-yard bombs on the run.
But the idea that he could step in, read a defense, and execute a few plays? That’s the kind of confidence that made him great in the first place.
Of course, this hypothetical only gained traction because of Rivers. Seeing a quarterback in his mid-40s return and look competent - even sharp - opens the door, if only slightly, to the idea that some of these legends might still have a little left in the tank.
Rivers’ return is five years removed from his last snap; Young’s would be more than five times that. But the imagination runs wild.
And let’s be honest - it’s fun to think about. Steve Young under center again, even for a single series, would be a surreal sight.
But while the pads are likely staying in the closet, the mindset? That’s still very much game-ready.
So no, we’re not expecting Steve Young to suit up anytime soon. But if the NFL ever did have its own version of the Hunger Games, you’d better believe No. 8 would be ready to roll.