5 Greatest Players in the History of the San Francisco 49ers

The history of the San Francisco 49ers runs deep. This is a team filled with legends, and it is challenging to pick the top five greatest players in the history of the team. That is because it is too difficult to leave any players out of the top five. Between a strong team now and a historic team that won multiple Super Bowls, it is safe to say there are a lot of great players that come from the 49ers. Here are arguably the five greatest players in the history of the San Francisco 49ers.

San Francisco 49ers 5 Greatest Players

The order of the players will be in no particular order. The team has had greats that may not make the list, but that is nothing against them. This is something that fans can argue about all day. Not every player listed has won a Super Bowl with the team either. Perhaps having a team where listing five players is difficult is a good thing. It means there are numerous players to look back on, and there are great top players in the making.

Joe Montana

First up is none under than the 49ers legend, Joe Montana. The quarterback was taken by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1979 NFL draft in the third round, and the rest is history. Montana won four Super Bowls with the team and was a three times Super Bowl MVP. The quarterback was also voted the league’s MVP in 1989 and 1990. Montana is a legend within this franchise.

He and his team won Super Bowls XVI (Jan.1982), XIX (Jan. 1985), XXIII (Jan. 1989), and XXIV (Jan. 1990). He is 4-0 in his Super Bowl appearances. 1990 was the year that he went out with a bang. The 49ers defeated the Denver Broncos 55-10 in Montana’s final Super Bowl win. The quarterback completed 22 passes out of just 29 attempts that game for 297 yards and was only sacked one time, according to Pro Football Reference.

The most notable part of that game may be that he scored five passing touchdowns and no interceptions. He passed the ball for more than 300 yards in a game 39 times, and in seven he passed for more than 400. His six games of passing more than 300 yards in the postseason is something that is still difficult to achieve. Montana never threw a touchdown in the Super Bowl.

Just like with most 49ers players, Montana dealt with numerous injuries that at times made it seem like he could not continue to play. Montana was a player the San Francisco 49ers always knew wanted to play. Even when the team traded for quarterback Steve Young in 1987. Montana won two Super Bowls with that team following that trade.

Joe Montana retired in 1994 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the class of 2000. Not enough can be said about the love fans had, and still do have for Montana. He was part of a fantastic team that built a strong franchise.

Jerry Rice

Wide receiver Jerry Rice needs no introduction. Rice still holds numerous records that many truly believe cannot be beaten. Rice may very well be the most famous 49ers player, as he is a name that even non-football fans know. Rice was drafted in 1985 with the 16th over draft pick by the 49ers.

Rice is a three times Super Bowl champion, winning with the San Francisco 49ers in the 1988, 1989, and 1994 seasons. In Super Bowl XXIII, Rice was named the Super Bowl MVP. Rice also won NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1987 and 1993 and was a six times NFL receiving yards leader. The wide receiver also won the NFL MVP in 1987.  Rice retired in 2004 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the class of 2010.

There are a number of records that Rice held, and some he still holds to this day. Rice still holds the record for career-receiving touchdowns at 197, a record that no current player is close to achieving. Rice scored a total of 209 career touchdowns. Another record that Rice still holds is for career receiving yards, which is 22,895. Rice is another player where not enough can be said about what he did for this franchise. Jerry Rice was a determined player with a long career and is one of the greatest players in the history of the San Francisco 49ers.

Ronnie Lott

Ronnie Lott is another player that will continue to go down among the best of the franchise. The safety was a part of the legendary team that won four Super Bowls. Lott was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers with the eighth overall draft pick in the 1981 NFL Draft. Despite beginning as a cornerback, Lott switched to safety in 1985. Lott was a big player on the defense, and who knows what the team would have been without him.

Lott was the second rookie in NFL history to score three touchdowns off of interceptions. Right there showed exactly the type of player he was going to turn out to be. Lott had 63 career interceptions, 51 of which were with the San Francisco 49ers, according to Pro Football Reference. The defensive back is also one of the very few players to be a part of the 49ers’ first four Super Bowl wins. The defense of the time is not discussed as much as the offense, but Lott helped make the 49ers a tough team to beat.

It was following the 1985 season that Lott had to have part of his pinky finger amputated. He helped win multiple Super Bowls after the amputation. The defensive back was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the class of 2000. Lott was a part of one of the most notable teams in NFL history and a big part of the 49ers franchise.

Patrick Willis

Bringing it more recently, linebacker Patrick Willis is one of the greatest players in the history of the 49ers. Willis never got a Super Bowl win and only played for eight seasons, but he was special. The San Francisco 49ers drafted Willis with the 11th overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft.

There are a number of accomplishments that Willis achieved in his short professional career. The linebacker was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2007. As a rookie, he made First-Team All-Pro, the Pro Bowl, and the NFL tackles leader. Willis ended his career as a five times First-Team All-Pro, Seven Pro Bowls, Two times NFL tackles leader, and the PFWA All-Rookie team in 2007. The only thing he truly missed out on was a Super Bowl.

After numerous injuries, Willis announced his retirement in March 2015. He made one Super Bowl appearance, but the San Francisco 49ers lost the game against the Baltimore Ravens. Willis is one of those players that will go down as a great that was never able to win it all. Willis is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and has recently been a finalist. His time has not come yet but hopefully will come soon.

Steve Young

It would not be a 49ers article without bringing up another quarterback. Steve Young is one of the greatest members of the 49ers in the history of the franchise. Young may have had one of the greatest if not the greatest, super bowl appearances for a quarterback in the history of the league. Young was actually a part of the original USFL in the 80s before joining the NFL. He was a part of the Los Angeles Express. Young began his career in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers in April of 1987.

With Montana consistently facing injuries, the franchise made the trade for Young. To no surprise, there was quarterback controversy in San Francisco, though it was evident that the fans wanted Montana. After a couple of years of backing up Montana, Young became the starter in 1991. By 1992, Young was named the MVP, and his second NFL MVP came from the 1994 season.

In January 1995, Young was named the MVP of Super Bowl XXIX. The San Francisco 49ers faced the San Diego Chargers. San Francisco won 49-26, which was also their most recent Super Bowl win. In that game, Young completed 24 passes for 325 yards, according to Pro Football Reference. The most notable part is that he had six passing touchdowns and zero interceptions. The dominant win led the team to victory. Young was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005 and is one of the greatest players in the history of the San Francisco 49ers.

There are a number of players that should be on this list, such as Bryant Young, Dwight Clark,  and more. It is really difficult to pick just five. This team also currently has players who could compete for the top five soon, such as Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. The San Francisco 49ers are a special franchise built with history. Hopefully, they can add a sixth ring soon.