Hall of Famer Steve Young joined The Rich Eisen Show this week and delivered a blunt, on-the-record take. Steve Young is a former American football quarterback who carved out a 15-season career in the NFL, making his biggest mark with the San Francisco 49ers. Before becoming a star in San Francisco, he began his journey with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team that originally drafted him. He discussed how the NFL’s calendar changes and roster churn have cut into the time coaches and quarterbacks spend together. And that’s showing early in the season.
When Rich Eisen asked whether a shortened preseason and other structural changes are already affecting play, Steve Young answered in detail, arguing the modern schedule reduces the “sophistication” offenses can build. His full, candid take was, “In the last 10 years, it’s essentially reduced the amount of time coaches and players can be together. And so the sophistication goes down… you’re just throwing 50 guys together by June, you get a couple of three-day retreats, and then you go play some ball.” He expanded more, saying, “In the old days, you really spent the whole year with your coaches grinding through … and refining the aspects of your offense and the sophistication.”
Young’s argument isn’t only an anecdote. The league formally trimmed preseason exposure when it expanded the regular season. Owners and the competition committee approved moving to a 17-game regular season (starting in 2021), which, in practice, limited preseason opportunities and compressed the calendar for coaches and quarterbacks to work together.
That compressed calendar shows up in the box score, too. League analytics have noted a recent drop in early-season passing volume and efficiency. The NFL’s own operations analysis found that passing yards per game in Weeks 1–3 declined from the mid-400s in the early 2020s to around 400 by 2024. It is a trend that supports Young’s claim that offenses are not firing on all cylinders at the season’s start.
Week 4 examples that fit Steve Young’s thesis
Young’s point is easy to spot in current storylines
- Green Bay (Jordan Love & staff): The Packers’ offense has looked like it’s still ironing out timing and protection issues. Jordan Love completed 18 of 25 for 183 yards in a narrow Week 3 loss to Cleveland, and Green Bay’s unit has shown the kind of early-season slippage Young described.
- Chicago (Caleb Williams & staff): On the flip side, rookies who build quick chemistry can accelerate an offense. Caleb Williams produced a breakout performance in Week 3 (near-300 yards and four TDs) that shows how, when things click, the offense can look polished even early. But those are still the exceptions.
- Dallas (Dak Prescott and the new staff): The Dallas Cowboys entered 2025 under new leadership after last season’s changes. Brian Schottenheimer is the Cowboys’ head coach this year, and the franchise’s early offensive inconsistency is precisely the kind of alignment/continuity problem Young says is becoming more common.
The three examples we have picked aren’t only to single out players. They’re symptoms of the same structural issue. Young described it as less offseason/preseason time, more roster churn, and therefore more pressure on quick chemistry.
Why Does Offense Lag and Defense Look Sharper Early?
Young’s statement, “Defense is much easier to get good at than offense,” is worth unpacking. Defensive game plans can lean on simpler, reactionary principles (tight coverage, gap discipline, pressure). At the same time, modern offenses require precise timing, route combos, protection schemes, and window-reading that only come from long reps together. That technical, “tender, tedious work,” as Young put it. It naturally benefits from more practice time and continuity, both of which the contemporary schedule has reduced.
What teams should do (and what fans should watch)?
- Hire for fit, not only pedigree
Teams that match QB skill sets to coaching philosophy cut weeks off the “getting on the same page” clock.
- Protect time for in-season adjustments
More efficient film sessions and clearer communication channels help short-circuit friction.
- Watch the sidelines and press conferences
Body language, phrasing, and who’s speaking for the offense are early signals of QB–coach alignment (or the lack of it).
Steve Young’s critique is simple and sharp. The modern calendar makes offense harder to polish, and quarterback–coach relationships suffer because there’s less time to build trust, technique, and shared interpretation of schemes. The Week 3–4 results around the league make his point tangible. We’re seeing defensive units often ahead of offenses early, and that pattern looks likely to persist unless teams find new ways to create continuity.