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5.7k voters

The Best San Francisco 49ers of All Time

Updated May 21, 2020 47.6k votes 5.7k voters 132.5k views99 items

List RulesPlease vote on the players based only on their time with the 49ers

A list of the best San Francisco 49ers of all time. The San Francisco 49ers are one of the most successful and popular NFL teams during the Super Bowl era. The team has gone to six Super Bowls, winning five of them. The San Francisco teams of the past four decades have had some of the best players in football history. These players are widely considered the best players at their position and are easily the greatest 49ers ever. Every conversation about the greatest 49ers begins with Joe Montana. Drafted in the third round in 1979, Montana was an integral player in the 49ers dynasty of the 1980s and 1990s. The team won four Super Bowls with Montana as its quarterback, confirming his status as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Next in line was another superstar quarterback: Steve Young. A worthy successor, Young was an NFL MVP and led the 49ers to the Super Bowl title after the 1994.

You can't talk about the greatest 49ers players of all time without mentioning the best wide receiver ever. Jerry Rice had the most storied career of any receiver in NFL history. Rice holds nearly every receiving record in NFL history and is by far and away the best 49ers receiver of all time.

The 49ers defense has featured the iconic Ronnie Lott and more recently, superstar linebacker Patrick Willis.

This is the list of the best San Francisco 49ers of all time. If you see someone missing from this list, feel free to add him. Vote or rerank this list according to who you think is the greatest San Francisco 49ers player of all time.

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Jerry Rice
Wide receiver
Birthplace: Crawford, Mississippi, United States of America
Age: 57
Teams: Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers
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#303 of 583 The Greatest Entertainers of All Time#3 of 15 The Worst NFL Trades Ever Made
2
2,705
324
Joe Montana
Quarterback
Birthplace: New Eagle, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Age: 59
Teams: San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs
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#19 of 150 Athletes You Didn't Know Were Conservative#255 of 568 American Public Figures Who Are National Treasures
3
1,789
211
Ronnie Lott
Cornerback, Safety
Birthplace: Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
Age: 56
Teams: USC Trojans football, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs
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#9 of 432 The Greatest Defenders in NFL History#2 of 104 The Best USC Trojans Players of All Time
4
1,879
243
Steve Young
Quarterback
Birthplace: Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
Age: 54
Teams: San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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#2 of 107 College & Professional Athletes Who Were Raised Mormon#10 of 120 The Best Quarterbacks Of All Time
5
1,416
327
Frank Gore
Running back
Birthplace: Coconut Grove, Miami, Florida, United States of America
Age: 32
Teams: Buffalo Bills
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#9 of 64 The Best Miami Football Players of All Time#16 of 53 The Most Likable Active NFL Players
6
1,032
168
Dwight Clark
Tight end, Wide receiver
Birthplace: Kinston, North Carolina, United States of America
Age: 63
Teams: San Francisco 49ers, Clemson Tigers football
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#29 of 214 The Best Wide Receivers of All Time#27 of 38 The Best NFL Wide Receivers of the '70s
7
758
158
Joe Staley
Tackle
Birthplace: Rockford, Michigan
Age: 36
Teams: San Francisco 49ers
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#11 of 61 The Best NFL Players From Michigan#18 of 22 Every Player Injured During The 2019-20 NFL Season (So Far)
8
1,129
275
Roger Craig
Running back, Fullback
Birthplace: Davenport, Iowa, United States of America
Age: 60
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#11 of 57 The Best NFL Players From Iowa#3 of 30 The Best Nebraska Cornhuskers Running Backs of All Time
9
1,328
339
Patrick Willis
Linebacker
Birthplace: Bruceton, Tennessee, United States of America
Age: 35
Teams: San Francisco 49ers
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#10 of 26 NFL Players Whose Careers Ended Too Soon#14 of 143 Athletes Whose Careers Ended Too Soon
10
750
160
NaVorro Bowman
Linebacker
Birthplace: District Heights, Maryland
Age: 32
Teams: San Francisco 49ers
11
563
88
Tom Rathman
Fullback
Birthplace: Grand Island, Nebraska
Age: 57
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#17 of 69 The Best Nebraska Cornhuskers Football Players of All Time#25 of 26 The Best NFL Running Backs of the 80s
12
755
30
Bill Walsh
Coach
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States of America
Age: Died at 76 (1931-2007)
Teams: San Jose State Spartans football
13
937
241
Charles Haley
Defensive end, Linebacker
Birthplace: Gladys, Virginia, Virginia
Age: 51
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#21 of 154 The Greatest Linebackers of All Time#13 of 96 The Greatest Defensive Ends of All Time

14
716
152
John Taylor
Return specialist, Wide receiver
Birthplace: Pennsauken Township, New Jersey
Age: 58
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#94 of 322 People Who Should Be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame#20 of 38 The Best NFL Wide Receivers of the '90s
15
1,169
333
Terrell Owens
Wide receiver
Birthplace: Alexander City, Alabama, United States of America
Age: 46
Teams: Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Texas Revolution
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#11 of 329 The Most Obnoxious Athletes#16 of 66 The Most Controversial Athletes in Sports History
16
673
154
Bryant Young
Defensive tackle, Defensive end
Birthplace: Chicago Heights, Illinois
Age: 48
17
935
223
Deion Sanders
Cornerback, Punt returner
Birthplace: Fort Myers, Florida, United States of America
Age: 53
Teams: Florida State Seminoles baseball, Washington Redskins, San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Falcons
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#132 of 149 The Greatest New York Yankees Of All Time#697 of 708 The Best Hitters in Baseball History
18
511
119
Brent Jones
Tight end
Birthplace: Santa Clara, California
Age: 57
Teams: San Francisco 49ers
19
688
208
Vernon Davis
Tight end
Birthplace: Washington, D.C.
Age: 31
Teams: Washington Redskins
20
661
199
Justin Smith
Defensive tackle
Birthplace: Jefferson City, Missouri
Age: 40
Teams: San Francisco 49ers
21
487
123
Ricky Watters
Running back
Birthplace: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Age: 51
Teams: Seattle Seahawks
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#56 of 206 The Best NFL Running Backs of All Time#12 of 82 The Best Notre Dame Football Players of All Time
22
490
139
Y. A. Tittle
Quarterback
Birthplace: Marshall, Texas, United States of America
Age: 89
Teams: Baltimore Colts, San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants
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#13 of 146 The Best LSU Football Players of All Time#10 of 73 The Best Quarterbacks to Never Win a Super Bowl
23
426
106
Garrison Hearst
Running back
Birthplace: Lincolnton, Georgia
Age: 44
Teams: Arizona Cardinals, Georgia Bulldogs football team
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#8 of 44 The Best University of Georgia Football Players of All Time#14 of 25 The Best College Running Backs of the 1990s

24
443
114
Ken Norton, Jr.
Linebacker
Birthplace: Jacksonville, Illinois, United States of America
Age: 54
25
465
135
Merton Hanks
Cornerback, Safety
Birthplace: Dallas, Texas
Age: 52

Dwight Clark

Joe Staley

John Taylor

Bryant Young

Garrison Hearst