| | SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Steve Young appears headed for the
injured reserve list because of persistent post-concussion
symptoms, a move that would finish his season and could signal the
end of his career.
No formal decision has been made yet, but the agent for the San
Francisco 49ers quarterback said Tuesday he doesn't intend to let
Young play again this year and apparently the team and Young's doctors feel the same way.
|  | | This hit against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 27 may have ended Steve Young's NFL career. |
"I'm determined he not risk anything more this year," Leigh
Steinberg said in an interview with San Francisco's KCBS radio.
"He's probably going to end up on injured reserve. This is a
football injury. He was hurt on the field and that's where those players go.
"But the news is not encouraging. It's not real cheery.
Obviously, to show symptoms this many weeks later is not a positive sign."
Young, 38, is expected to discuss his condition and
status with the team Wednesday in a meeting with the media. It's
his first such meeting in two weeks since word surfaced that his
primary neurologist, Dr. Gary Steinberg, who is unrelated to the
agent, had made a long-term recommendation about whether Young should play again.
"I think he'll be able to clear some things up, be a little
more definitive," coach Steve Mariucci said. "Is anything drastic going to happen? No."
ESPN The Magazine's John Clayton reports that Leigh Steinberg said Young will not announce his retirement Wednesday and does not intend to retire this season. If Young were to retire before June 1, he would lose money on his contract and the 49ers would take a $5 million hit to their salary cap.
While Dr. Steinberg's opinion hasn't been disclosed, Young has
conceded the report was "discouraging" and his agent has said
that the initial medical opinion has been reaffirmed in consultations with other specialists.
Young continues to speak with some of his contemporaries who
were forced out of the game by repeated concussions, including Al
Toon and Merrill Hoge. He's also gathering more medical advice and
might see another specialist this week. But Mariucci and general
manager Bill Walsh have both said they would give greatest
weight to Dr. Steinberg's conclusions and they are in no hurry to
see Young back on the field.
The concern with Young is he could be at risk for permanent
brain damage from another concussion.
Mariucci said Monday that the team, which has a bye this week,
hopes to resolve Young's status in the next week or two and said
injured reserve was a possibility. It would allow Young an extended
period away from football while not totally shutting the door on
his eventual return.
Though Young has not received medical clearance to play and has
no real hope of getting it any time soon, he remains optimistic
that his concussion symptoms will eventually clear, leaving at
least a possibility he could return next season.
Leigh Steinberg said there would be no decision or announcement
on the possibility of Young's retirement until after the season but
added that Young also will abide by the final medical consensus.
"Nothing is going to happen in the way of retirement this
season," Leigh Steinberg said. "He will come to the right decision but this will take a little time."
Young continues to feel a strong sense of responsibility to the team, especially now that it's struggling without him, and wouldn't think of leaving in the middle of the season.
By going on injured reserve, though, he could stick around and get treatment while remaining with the team as a locker room and sideline presence along with helping advise his replacement, Jeff Garcia. | |
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