Hall Of Fame QB Finds It ‘Baffling’ Patriots Didn’t Have Plan Post Tom Brady

Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young knows a thing or two about being a part of an NFL dynasty.

He was part of the San Francisco 49ers when they won five Super Bowls in the 1980s and 90s. In fact, Young was in place as Joe Montana’s backup for four years before he took over as the starter.

The two-time NFL MVP spoke about the Patriots dynasty when he joined 98.5 The Sports Hub “Felger and Mazz” on Radio Row in Las Vegas on Wednesday.

“It’s always an appreciation because what we did from 1980 to 2000, the 49ers were really taken to the next generation and improved on by the Patriots,” Young said. “And done it for another 20 years. I think it’s very resonant (…) about what the Patriots were able to do, like wow. And I can really appreciate it like maybe only 49ers players in that era can appreciate it.”

Young pointed out that the Patriots weren’t able to bring in the right quarterback to back up Tom Brady like the 49ers did with Montana and himself.

“The model is to take a chance and have a plan,” Young said. “(…) Nobody has had a better glide slope than watching Tom Brady finish up. You had years to think about it and figure it out and toy with it and iterate.

“And then all of a sudden, it happens, and it’s all like a shock. What happened? Have a plan. It still shocks me that you would not have a plan or at least an effort to figure out who was going to be next. It was baffling to me.”

The Patriots took a chance with Cam Newton before handing the ball over to Mac Jones after Brady left New England. Newton led the team to a 7-9 record and the Patriots missed the postseason. Jones took over in 2021 winning 10 games in his rookie season.

It’s unknown who will lead the Patriots this season as the club ventures into its new era under head coach Jerod Mayo, but with the third pick in the 2024 NFL draft, they could target a quarterback for the future.