When you talk about NFL dynasties, one of the greatest of all time is the San Francisco 49ers of the 1980s and 1990s.
The 49ers’ dominance began in the 1980s under Bill Walsh and continued into the early 90s with George Seifert. They’ve produced some of the best players to have ever played in the NFL. Before and after that stretch, they’ve added to their legacy with plenty of playoff heroes, Pro Bowlers, and Pro Football Hall of Famers.
We had to narrow it down so here’s our list of the ten best San Francisco 49ers of all time.
10. John Taylor, wide receiver & kick returner
John Taylor often gets overlooked because he played alongside Jerry Rice, but the talented wideout racked up some pretty impressive numbers of his own during his time with the 49ers between 1987 and 1995. In nine NFL seasons, he tallied 347 receptions for 5,589 yards and 43 touchdowns. He also gained 1,517 punt return yards for two scores and 276 kickoff yards. The two-time Pro Bowler was part of three Super Bowl-winning 49ers squads and he still holds the record for total punt return yards in Super Bowl history. 49ers fans will always remember him for catching the winning 10-yard touchdown pass from Joe Montana to win Super Bowl XXIII.
9. George Kittle, tight end
George Kittle is well on his way to becoming a 49ers Hall of Famer. In his time with the team so far, he’s already amassed over 5,400 yards receiving and over 30 touchdowns in seven seasons. He has been the go-to guy and the most reliable receiver the 49ers have on the r0ster and, if he can stay healthy and things go their way, don’t be surprised if we add Super Bowl champion to his resume.
8. Dwight Clark, tight end
Before Jerry Rice, San Francisco’s wide receiver corp was repped by Dwight Clark. Coming out of Clemson, you’d have never thought Clark would be one of Joe Montana’s go-to guys on that 49ers roster. However, in nine seasons with San Francisco, he became a dependable target for a team that won two Super Bowls. He caught 82 passes for 991 yards and 8 touchdowns in 1980 and followed that with 85 catches for 1,15 yards and four scores in 1981. Clark’s most iconic moment came in the 1982 NFC Championship Game against the Dallas Cowboys when he made “The Catch” in the back of the endzone to win the game and send San Fran to their first Super Bowl. Clark would end his career with the 49ers with two Pro Bowls, 6,750 receiving yards, and 48 touchdowns.
7. Roger Craig, running back
As great as a running back as Roger Craig, he is one of the few 49ers from those great teams not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The three-time Super Bowl winner, 1988 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, four-time Pro Bowler, and member of the NFL’s 80s All-Decade team was a core player on those great 49ers squads. He ended up accounting for 11,506 yards from scrimmage, rushing for 7064 yards and 50 touchdowns, and catching 508 passes for 4442 yards and 16 touchdowns. He was also a beast in the playoffs, garnering 817 rushing yards with seven touchdowns and 63 receptions for 606 yards and two touchdowns in 16 postseason games.
6. Terrell Owens, wide receiver
T.O. might be remembered more for his antics off the field these days but it’s worth remembering just how good he was as a wide receiver for the 49ers. Owens spent the first eight years of his NFL career in San Francisco where he 49ers in receptions five times and remains second in the franchise record book in receptions (592), yards (8,572), and TDs (81). The five-time first-team All-Pro, six-time Pro Bowler, and three-time NFL receiving touchdown leader is a member of the San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame.
5. Charles Haley, linebacker
Charles Haley’s play at linebacker can only be described in one word: Nasty. Drafted in the fourth round in 1986 by the 49ers, Haley started his NFL career as an outside linebacker and thrived in the 3-4 defense. In 1988, he became a starter and registered 69 tackles and 11.5 sacks. By 1990, Haley garnered 58 tackles and 9 passes defended, finishing third in the NFL with 16 sacks, and was named a consensus All-Pro. Between 1986 and 1991, he led the team in sacks every year and was part of the Super Bowl XXIII and Super Bowl XXIV championship teams. The five-time Pro Bowler would go on to win three more Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys and finish his 12-year career with 100.5 quarterback sacks, two interceptions, and eight fumble recoveries. Haley was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
4. Ronnie Lott, safety
Perhaps the greatest 49ers defensive player of all time is Ronnie Lott as nobody epitomized the toughness of those great Niners teams than him. Coming out of USC, he was an all-everything in college, and that continued in the NFL. In 10 seasons with the 49ers, he helped the team win eight division crowns and four Super Bowls. The two-time NFL interception leader, 1o-time Pro Bowler, and eight-time All-Pro finished his decorated pro career with 1,146 tackles, 63 interceptions, 16 forced fumbles, 17 fumble recoveries, and five touchdowns. Following the 1985 season, Lott had the tip of his left pinky finger amputated in order to ensure that he would be able to play the following season. One of the best open-field tacklers in the history of the league, Lott was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the team retired his No. 42.
3. Steve Young, quarterback
While Joe Montana was the quarterback who oversaw the 1980s 49ers dynasty, it was Steve Young who continued that tradition in the 1990s along with Jerry Rice. Young carved out his own piece of history in 1994 when he not only led San Francisco to their last Super Bowl victory, but he broke plenty of NFL records that season. Young threw six touchdown passes in the 49ers’ 49-26 Super Bowl victory over the San Diego Chargers, the most by any NFL quarterback. He also earned NFL MVP again that season, one of two times he did that. Young led the league in passer rating six times and completion percentage and yards per attempt five times each. He was also an accomplished runner, with 43 career rushing scores and 4,239 rushing yards. Young ended his career with 33,124 passing yards and 232 passing touchdowns and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
2. Jerry Rice, wide receiver
This was a tough decision putting Jerry Rice at No. 2. But like Joe Montana, Jerry Rice was Mr. Everything to the 49ers. Rice was a steal in the draft for the 49ers, who traded up to get him. The bet paid off. The 10-time All-Pro and 13-time Pro Bowler led the NFL in receptions twice, led the NFL in receiving yards six times, and led the NFL in receiving touchdowns six times. He was a key cog in San Francisco offenses that were part of three Super Bowl championships and he garnered Super Bowl MVP for one of them. He remains the all-time NFL leader in career receptions (1,549), receiving yards (22,895), receiving touchdowns (197), total touchdowns (208), and all-purpose yards (23,546). A member of the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team, NFL 1990s All-Decade Team NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, and NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
1. Joe Montana, quarterback
You could make the case for Jerry Rice to top this list but it’s hard to deny the impact that Joe Montana had on the San Francisco 49ers and their 1980s dynasty. The national champion-winning quarterback at Notre Dame was a third-rounder for the Niners in 1979, but boy did he overperform. In 14 seasons with San Francisco, Montana started and won four Super Bowls and became the player to be named Super Bowl MVP three times. He still holds Super Bowl career records for most passes without an interception (122 in four games) and the all-time highest passer rating of 127.8. During his time with the 49ers, Montana completed 2,929 passes for 35,142 yards, and 244 touchdowns. He also piled up thirty-five 300-yard passing games, including seven 400+ yard performances. He finished his Hall of Fame career with 3,409 completions, 273 touchdowns, and 40,551 yards passing while rushing for 1,676 yards and 20 touchdowns.
