Last month, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance said he welcomes advice from Steve Young. One is at the beginning of his NFL journey, while the other knows what it takes to have a Hall of Fame career.
"We got to talk a decent amount, yeah," Lance said of his interactions with Young. "Obviously, with a guy like that, it means the world anytime he says anything about me. I have nothing but respect for a guy like that. Everything that he's done, and him having been in this building and played for this organization, I'm going to take everything I possibly can from a guy like that. Anything he has to say, anything he has to offer me, I'm welcoming that with open arms."
Most expect Lance to be the 49ers' Week 1 starter, succeeding veteran Jimmy Garoppolo. Young wants to continue being a resource for the 22-year-old quarterback.
"I make myself available to Jimmy. I make myself available to Trey," Young told NBC Sports Bay Area reporter Matt Maiocco this past weekend at the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament at Lake Tahoe. "Look, if I can ever be helpful, and because Trey and I had a couple of chances to kind of go back and forth with some questions and answers—there's nothing I can do with the offense."
Young feels he is too far removed from his NFL career to be helpful when it comes to helping Lance figure out Kyle Shanahan's offense or what he should do during in-game situations. That's not the type of resource he hopes to be for the young quarterback.
"But I can give you some perspective," Young continued. "I can give you, if nothing else, a sense of support. And so I've enjoyed those conversations. I want to have some more with Trey, if he's willing to, because I think there's a place, carefully, that I can be helpful.
"... I would love to be helpful if there is a place to be. The last thing I want to do is come in hot, try to talk about stuff, and Trey's like, 'I don't know what you're talking about.' So very carefully, I'll be as helpful as I can be."
Young acknowledged that Lance is a sponge when it comes to absorbing information. That will help in Shanahan's complex offensive scheme, which the Hall of Fame player believes is the most quarterback-friendly in the league.
"I would no question, number one, run to Kyle's offense, to this team, to the spirit of what John (Lynch) has built, number one," Young admitted. "Rams close. Chiefs close. There are some others."
Why does Young feel the 49ers are the perfect organization for a young quarterback like Lance? It has to do with the level of talent that general manager John Lynch and company have infused into the roster and the spirit of the locker room.
"I think they're top five in all those things," Young added. "The place where they are [number] one is innovation. Kyle's ability, week to week, to create, not a simple solution for a quarterback, but ... it allows all your athleticism and all your smarts to come out. This offense is what I would dream about playing in. And so, that's where it's a cut above everybody else, in my mind.
"And that's why for Trey and for Jimmy, the best they'll ever be, in my opinion, will be right here with this team. And so, for Trey, that's a great thing because it looks like he's going to be here. And for Jimmy, that's a scary thing because I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Young below.
