Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young believes the San Francisco 49ers are legitimate Super Bowl contenders, asserting that any dismissal of the team is a miscalculation.
"You’ve got 5 Hall of Famers on that football team and if healthy, they can be in the mix with anybody anytime. That’s a fact," Young said on The Rich Eisen Show. He added that "anyone who sleeps on the Niners is an idiot."
Young's comments come after the 49ers' dominant 27-7 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1. The Rams had been considered strong contenders due to their offseason acquisitions, including Myles Garrett, Trent McDuffie, and Aaron Donald, leading to expectations of them being the NFC's team to beat.
Despite the 49ers' past struggles with injuries, which have often led to them being underestimated, Young emphasized the importance of the team staying healthy. "Maintaining and keeping people on the field, they’re gonna be in the mix and they’re gonna be there at the end of the year," he stated. "Make no mistake, the Rams are and will be a good team. Their Week 1 dud in Australia was likely an outlier, but that shouldn’t take away from the 49ers’ display of dominance."
Young expressed confidence that a healthy 49ers squad has the potential to compete for a Super Bowl, a sentiment bolstered by their decisive Week 1 performance.