It took the 35-year-old defensive tackle a couple of months to decide, but coach Mike Nolan convinced Bryant Young (right, & below,with Joe Montana) to return for a 14th season. Young signed a one-year deal that will pay him $4.25 million this year.Over 13 seasons, Young has gained a lot of experience while becoming one of the best to ever play for the 49ers. He is third in team history with 83 sacks, including 5½ last season as he started every game at left end.
So why come back for a 14th season at age 35?
Young joined the 49ers as their first-round pick in 1994, when they were still annually one of the top two or three franchises in the NFL. They went 13-3 and won the Super Bowl in his rookie season and won 61 games over his first five years. The offense -- led by Steve Young and Jerry Rice -- was always in the top five, and Bryant Young played on a defense that twice was ranked No. 1. Those were the glory days, when the 49ers finished a run of 16 straight seasons with at least 10 wins -- accomplished under coaches Bill Walsh, George Seifert (BY's first) and Steve Mariucci.
The team slumped once Steve Young left, winning just 10 games combined in 1999 and 2000. Despite a 4-12 record in '99, Bryant Young still went to the Pro Bowl for the second time. He also went in 2001 and 2002, when the 49ers won 22 games.But since Mariucci left in '02 (after 57 wins in six seasons), the 49ers have fallen on hard times. They went 9-23 under Dennis Erickson and are 11-21 in Nolan's first two years. But the 7-9 finish last season, which included a sweep of the NFC West champion Seattle Seahawks , gives Young hope that the team will get back to the playoffs in 2007 for the first time since Mariucci left.
The other draw for Young is the promise that he will not have to play as many snaps as he has in recent seasons. He started every game last year and played a lot more than he and Nolan preferred because injuries depleted the line, while Young held up so well. The 49ers have added several linemen this offseason; Young should be spelled by guys like Sam Rayburn, Ron Fields and rookie Ray McDonald. With some luck, Bryant may be able to leave the organization the way he found it....a playoff and Super Bowl contender.
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