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SFYOUNG8

Steve Young

Retired

San Francisco 49ers · QB

Steve Young recorded 169 indexed regular-season NFL appearances across 15 rostered seasons with San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

▶Best highlights

196.0

pass yds/gm

25.1

rush yds/gm

22

playoff games

169

career games

Five defining games

Start here

A researched consensus introduction to Steve Young's defining games.

Editorial methodology and sources

Cross-checked Young's Hall of Fame record, 49ers championship and playoff histories, efficiency records, and verified archive box scores. His record Super Bowl leads, followed by the Dallas breakthrough, The Catch II, and two all-purpose performances that represent his unprecedented passing-and-running blend.

  1. #1. Young threw a Super Bowl-record six touchdown passes and added 49 rushing yards, winning MVP and finally capturing a championship as San Francisco's starter. Pro Football Hall of Fame: Steve Young
  2. #2. Young threw two touchdowns and ran for another as the 49ers finally broke through against Dallas, winning the NFC title en route to his championship. Pro Football Hall of Fame: Steve Young
  3. #3. Young's 25-yard strike to Terrell Owens with eight seconds left became The Catch II, ending three straight playoff eliminations by Green Bay. Pro Football Hall of Fame: Steve Young
  4. #4. Young combined 338 passing yards, 63 rushing yards, and four total touchdowns against Chicago in an early display of his complete dual-threat ceiling. Pro Football Hall of Fame: Steve Young
  5. #5. Young threw for 331 yards, ran for 60, and scored twice each through the air and on the ground in a complete victory over Indianapolis. Pro Football Hall of Fame: Steve Young

Reviewed through 2026-08-11

Super Bowl
XXIX
LOS ANGELESCHARGERS
SAN FRANCISCO49ERS
JAN 29, 1995

Los Angeles Chargers vs San Francisco 49ers

Super Bowl XXIX · Jan 29, 1995

325 pass yds · 6 pass TD · 0 INT

Conference Championship
1994
DALLASCOWBOYS
SAN FRANCISCO49ERS
JAN 15, 1995

Dallas Cowboys vs San Francisco 49ers

Conference Championship · Jan 15, 1995

155 pass yds · 2 pass TD · 0 INT

Wild Card
1998
GREEN BAYPACKERS
SAN FRANCISCO49ERS
JAN 3, 1999

Green Bay Packers vs San Francisco 49ers

Wild Card · Jan 3, 1999

182 pass yds · 3 pass TD · 2 INT

Regular Season
1991
CHICAGOBEARS
SAN FRANCISCO49ERS
DEC 23, 1991

Chicago Bears vs San Francisco 49ers

Regular Season · Dec 23, 1991

338 pass yds · 3 pass TD · 0 INT

Regular Season
1998
INDIANAPOLISCOLTS
SAN FRANCISCO49ERS
OCT 18, 1998

Indianapolis Colts vs San Francisco 49ers

Regular Season · Oct 18, 1998

331 pass yds · 2 pass TD · 0 INT

Single-game peaks

Career highs

Position-relevant single-game records from Steve Young's indexed NFL box scores.

Career high: 462 passing yards

Regular Season
1993
SAN FRANCISCO49ERS
LOS ANGELESRAMS
NOV 28, 1993

San Francisco 49ers vs Los Angeles Rams

Regular Season · Nov 28, 1993

462 pass yds · 4 pass TD · 1 INT

Career high: 6 passing touchdowns

Super Bowl
XXIX
LOS ANGELESCHARGERS
SAN FRANCISCO49ERS
JAN 29, 1995

Los Angeles Chargers vs San Francisco 49ers

Super Bowl XXIX · Jan 29, 1995

325 pass yds · 6 pass TD · 0 INT

Career highs: 23 completions · 1 completion of 40+ yards

Regular Season
1999
NEW ORLEANSSAINTS
SAN FRANCISCO49ERS
SEP 19, 1999

New Orleans Saints vs San Francisco 49ers

Regular Season · Sep 19, 1999

258 pass yds · 2 pass TD · 1 INT

Career high: 102 rushing yards

Regular Season
1990
NEW ORLEANSSAINTS
SAN FRANCISCO49ERS
DEC 23, 1990

New Orleans Saints vs San Francisco 49ers

Regular Season · Dec 23, 1990

208 pass yds · 0 pass TD · 0 INT

Career chapters

Franchise eras

Follow the team eras that shaped Steve Young's career, in chronological order.

Earliest → latest

Franchise era

1983–1995

01
TBYOUNG8Steve Young
TBWILDER32James Wilder
TBGRUBER74Paul Gruber

Instability follows Williams's departure

Tampa Bay Buccaneers · The lost creamsicle years

Ownership decisions and constant coaching change produced fourteen straight losing seasons before new leadership began a cultural reset.

Read the era story →

Franchise era

1979–1990

02
SFYOUNG8Steve Young
SFMONTANA16Joe Montana
SFRICE80Jerry Rice

The West Coast offense wins four championships

San Francisco 49ers · Walsh, Montana and the dynasty

Bill Walsh paired precise passing with a rebuilt defense, and Montana's calm produced four Super Bowl victories without a loss.

Read the era story →

Franchise era

1991–1998

03
SFYOUNG8Steve Young
SFRICE80Jerry Rice
SFYOUNG97Bryant Young

A quarterback transition preserves greatness

San Francisco 49ers · Steve Young takes the baton

Young escaped Montana's shadow with an MVP peak and six touchdown passes in Super Bowl XXIX, extending the dynasty into another generation.

Read the era story →

Franchise era

1999–2010

04
SFYOUNG8Steve Young
SFOWENS81Terrell Owens
SFGARCIA5Jeff Garcia

Brief Owens–Garcia fireworks precede a rebuild

San Francisco 49ers · The long reset

An explosive early-2000s offense supplied one last playoff comeback before instability took over and Willis became the next defensive foundation.

Read the era story →

Career accomplishments

NFL passing touchdowns leader · 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998NFL MVP · 1992, 1994Super Bowl champion · 1988, 1989, 1994Super Bowl MVP · 1994NFL Offensive Player of the Year · 199215 NFL seasons169 career games33,124 career passing yards232 career passing touchdowns4,239 career rushing yards43 career rushing touchdowns2 career receptions2 career receiving yardsJersey: 822 playoff appearances2 Super Bowl appearancesFirst appearance: Nov 24, 1985Most recent: Sep 27, 1999

Official awards via ESPN · Pro Bowl and All-Pro counts via NFLverse with selection years cross-checked against Wikipedia · league leads verified from indexed regular-season stats

Team history