Steve Young Says the 49ers Should Play Trey Lance

Steve Young spoke recently on the radio about the 49ers' plan for Trey Lance's development, and what Young said was fascinating:

Q: Kyle is going with Jimmy and he's not going with Lance. Lance is the future and we all know that. If Trey...

YOUNG: "Hold your question. I have to break in real quickly. Why? Why is Trey not capable of getting on the field. I'm not saying starting. But when we started the year, (Kyle Shanahan said) I was going to have some packages, I want to see him play, he's a different dynamic, he can be really great in the red zone -- why is he shut down?"

Q: I personally believe some of the offensive players have pushed back on the Trey Package. I have no evidence, but that's my feel. But here's my question. You sat for a long time, and then you got a chance to play and succeed. What is your advice for Trey? Is there anything you would advise him to do this year that maybe he's not doing?

YOUNG: "(Loud groan). First of all, you learn by watching, I get that, but for me, for my career, those were wasted -- not wasted -- they were lost years. What I learned watching was amazing, but I didn't need those years (laughing). Maybe one year to kind of really get a handle of things, but those are lost years for me."

I love how Young couldn't hide his contempt for the 49ers' handling of Lance. First, he interrupted the question to point out how wrong it is that the 49ers have stopped putting Lance into games for specific plays. Then, Young answered the question by calling his years on the bench "wasted," before correcting himself and settling on the word "lost." Sure, he tried to be diplomatic and said "maybe" one year on the bench is OK, but it's still a lost year from his perspective.

Young's statements are so interesting because people who believe Lance should sit on the bench often point to Young's development as the reasont to keep Lance off the field. It worked for Young, they say, so it will work for Lance.

But Young himself disagrees with that argument. He thinks Lance should play.

I'm with Steve.