For a few years in the early 1990s, the San Francisco 49ers found themselves at a crossroads. Joe Montana, their future Hall of Famer and franchise quarterback, had missed 31 games from 1991-92, giving way to Steve Young. The change under center predictably created a quarterback controversy, one Montana wasn’t exactly interested in seeing through.
He demanded a trade from San Francisco, which piqued the interest of the Chiefs. Kansas City traded its 1993 first-round pick in 1993 for Montana, David Whitmore and a third-rounder in 1994, giving the Chiefs Super Bowl aspirations. It was one of the biggest deals in NFL history, starting what would be a second 49ers dynasty with Steve Young at quarterback.