SFReceived
PSteve YoungSuccession plan · April 24, 1987
The quiet trade that extended San Francisco's dynasty
San Francisco acquired Steve Young from Tampa Bay for cash plus second- and fourth-round picks in the 1987 draft.
See where this happened in the 1987 offseason →The original receipt
Every asset in the deal
The arrows show what each team received—not which direction a player left.
TBReceived
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
+Cash considerations
#1987 second-round pick
#1987 fourth-round pick
Why it happened
The bet each side made
The 49ers acquired a talented but unproven quarterback behind Joe Montana. Tampa Bay cleared the position before selecting Vinny Testaverde first overall.
Why history remembers it
Young developed behind Montana, won two MVPs and Super Bowl XXIX, allowing one dynasty to survive the sport's most difficult quarterback transition.
The family tree
Where the picks and rights went
Selections, swaps and later trades are traced separately so a downstream player is not mistaken for a direct one-for-one return.
- 01
1987 second · selected
Winston Moss
Tampa Bay used the premium selection on the linebacker.
- 02
1987 fourth · selected
Bruce Hill
The fourth-round pick became a receiver who played six seasons for Tampa Bay.
What changed
The consequences
- Young succeeded Montana and won the 1992 and 1994 MVP awards.
- San Francisco won Super Bowl XXIX behind Young's record six touchdown passes.
- Tampa Bay received two useful players but surrendered a future Hall of Fame quarterback.
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