Joe Montana wanted to be a Steeler, but Steelers preferred Neil O'Donnell

[SteelCrazy]

You may have heard of this quarterback by the name of*Joe Montana. His storied tenure as the signal caller for the San Francisco 49ers is one of the greatest stories about a quarterback in NFL history.

His time in a Niners uniform was cut short when*Steve Young*came to town and the team opted to ship him to Kansas City. It was a trade that Montana orchestrated; but Kansas City wasn’t at the top of his list for trade destinations. That honor would go to the Pittsburgh Steelers. But on The*Dan Patrick*Show recently, Montana raised a few eyebrows when he explained why Pittsburgh said no.

Montana, asked about Pittsburgh said:*“Oh yeah. I tried to go there before, when I was looking at Kansas City, and they said no. I think O’Donnell was stil there.”
Patrick:*“Wait, Steelers said no because they had Neil O’Donnell?”
Montana: “Yeah, Neil O’Donnell.”

Really, Pittsburgh? Passing up one of the all-time greats for Neil O’Donnell? Sounds pretty crazy to me.

[url]http://live.drjays.com/index.php/2012/12/13/joe-montana-says-he-wanted-to-be-a-pittsburgh-steeler-but-neil-odonnell-got-in-the-way/[/url]

[Ghost]

Read that today as well: [URL]http://arrowheadaddict.com/2012/12/11/joe-montana-wanted-to-go-to-steelers-over-chiefs/[/URL]

Montana said - " It would have been fun to play for them, finish off your career back at home. That would have been fun. And they had a pretty good team, too. That was the other part of it."

[RuthlessBurgher]

Montana was 37 years old when he left S.F. for K.C. He only played 2 years there before retiring. Would Montana in his late 30's have been better than a decade-younger O'Donnell? Their numbers for those 2 seasons are pretty darned close.

Montana in 1993: 181-298, 60.7%, 2144 yards, 13 TD, 7 INT
Montana in 1994: 299-493, 60.6%, 3283 yards, 16 TD, 9 INT

O'Donnell in 1993: 270-486, 55.6%, 3208 yards, 14 TD, 7 INT
O'Donnell in 1994: 212-370, 57.3%, 2443 yards, 13 TD, 9 INT

Plus, remember that we went to the Super Bowl with O'Donnell the year after Montana retired.

Sure, we lost a playoff game to Montana's Chiefs in overtime, but it wasn't because Montana outplayed O'Donnell in that game:

Neil O'Donnell 23-42, 286 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
Joe Montana 28-43, 276 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT

[steelz09]

Montana was 37 years old when he left S.F. for K.C. He only played 2 years there before retiring. Would Montana in his late 30's have been better than a decade-younger O'Donnell? Their numbers for those 2 seasons are pretty darned close.

Montana in 1993: 181-298, 60.7%, 2144 yards, 13 TD, 7 INT
Montana in 1994: 299-493, 60.6%, 3283 yards, 16 TD, 9 INT

O'Donnell in 1993: 270-486, 55.6%, 3208 yards, 14 TD, 7 INT
O'Donnell in 1994: 212-370, 57.3%, 2443 yards, 13 TD, 9 INT

Plus, remember that we went to the Super Bowl with O'Donnell the year after Montana retired.

Sure, we lost a playoff game to Montana's Chiefs in overtime, but it wasn't because Montana outplayed O'Donnell in that game:

Neil O'Donnell 23-42, 286 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
Joe Montana 28-43, 276 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT

Not even comparable. Montana wouldn't have lost the SB by throwing those 2 INT. It still makes me think O'Donnell thru the game on purpose.

[Slapstick]

Not even comparable. Montana wouldn't have lost the SB by throwing those 2 INT. It still makes me think O'Donnell thru the game on purpose.

He definitely wouldn't have since he retired the year before...

[Gus]

Not so crazy really. It cost the Chiefs safety David Whitmore and a 1994 3rd round pick for 2 years of Montana's services. Montana was 37 years old by the beginning of the '93 season. O'Donnell was 27.
The #s put up by both QBs during the 1993 and 1994 seasons were fairly comparable.
I understand wanting to have seen Montana in black and gold, but I don't think we lost out on much there.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Not so crazy really. It cost the Chiefs safety David Whitmore and a 1994 3rd round pick for 2 years of Montana's services. Montana was 37 years old by the beginning of the '93 season. O'Donnell was 27.
The #s put up by both QBs during the 1993 and 1994 seasons were fairly comparable.
I understand wanting to have seen Montana in black and gold, but I don't think we lost out on much there.

Actually, the Chiefs received Montana, David Whitmore and a 1994 3rd round pick from the Niners.

In exchange, the Niners got the 18th overall pick in the 1993 draft from the Chiefs.

No way I'd give up a first round pick for a 37 year old who had only played 1 game in the previous 2 seasons.

[Slapstick]

Actually, the Chiefs received Montana, David Whitmore and a 1994 3rd round pick from the Niners.

In exchange, the Niners got the 18th overall pick in the 1993 draft from the Chiefs.

No way I'd give up a first round pick for a 37 year old who had only played 1 game in the previous 2 seasons.

We would have missed out on Deon Figures...

[RuthlessBurgher]

We would have missed out on Deon Figures...

Figures might have developed into a quality player if he hadn't been shot in the leg through his car door.

[Slapstick]

Figures might have developed into a quality player if he hadn't been shot in the leg through his car door.

I know. I was lamenting the fact that Figures didn't pan out more than the loss of Montana...