When ranking the 10 best San Francisco 49ers players of all-time, we have to look at eras. Sure Terrell Owens put up some huge numbers during his time in Northern California. But he can’t be compared to Jerry Rice due to the difference in NFL rules during their playing days.
One thing is clear. Both Joe Montana and Steve Young find themselves near the top of the list. There’s also a current member of the team that ranks among the best players in franchise history. Without further ado, let’s check in on the 10-best San Francisco 49ers players of all-time.
10. Trent Williams, offensive tackle
In just four seasons with the 49ers, Williams has already made an historic impact for the organization. He’s earned three consecutive First-Team All-Pro honors and has played a major role in young quarterback Brock Purdy morphing into a franchise guy. All said, the 35-year-old Williams has made 11 Pro Bowl appearances since Washington selected him in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
9. Joe Perry, running back
At one time, Perry was the NFL’s career rushing leader before Jim Brown broke it in 1963. He held the 49ers’ career rushing mark for 60 yards before Frank Gore broke it in 2011. San Francisco made the playoffs only twice during Perry’s tenure, making it difficult to place him any higher on the list of the best San Francisco 49ers players of all-time. He also became the first African-American to win the NFL MVP award back in 1954, beating out Otto Graham.
8. Patrick Willis, linebacker
Willis opened his career having earned six consecutive All-Pro nods and seven straight Pro Bowl appearances. He led the league in tackles twice and proved to be one of the best cover backers in the game. Despite playing only eight seasons in the NFL before a surprising retirement, Willis more than deserves to be a Pro Football Hall of Famer.
7. Frank Gore, running back
Gore played the first decade of his 16-year career in San Francisco, finishing as the organization’s all-time leading rusher. He put up north of 1,200 total yards in each of his final nine seasons with the 49ers, averaging nearly 1,500 total yards during that span. Gore’s ability to play at a high level for such a long time was otherworldly. He’s currently third on the all-time NFL list in rushing yards.
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6. Roger Craig, running back
Speaking of the modern NFL and the best San Francisco 49ers players of all-time, Craig makes this list for multiple reasons. First off, he became the first running back in league history to record 1,000-plus rushing yards and 1,000-plus receiving yards in the same season (1985). In his three Super Bowl appearances with San Francisco (all wins), Craig combined for 410 total yards and four touchdowns.
5. Bryant Young, defensive tackle
It wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that Bryant Young was among the best defensive tackles in modern NFL history during his 14-year run with the San Francisco 49ers. A first-round pick out of Notre Dame, Brown anchored a defense that helped lead San Francisco to the Super Bowl title as a rookie back in 1994. While he wouldn’t hoist the Lombardi again during his career, he didn’t look back.
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4. Ronnie Lott, safety
Perhaps best known for amputating part of his finger rather than missing games, the toughness Lott instilled into the 49ers can’t go unnoticed. It doesn’t hurt that he recorded a whopping 63 interceptions and 16 forced fumbles throughout his career. Lott also came up huge in big-game situations, including nine career playoff interceptions.
3. Steve Young, quarterback
He eventually took over for an injured Montana as the 49ers full-time starter in 1992. After suffering ugly playoff losses in his first two seasons as San Francisco’s starter, Young got that monkey off his back in 1994. He won his second NFL MVP in three seasons, leading the 49ers to a 13-3 record. In three playoff starts that year, Young registered 11 total touchdowns against zero interceptions, including a record six touchdowns in a 49-26 blowout win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX.
2. Joe Montana, quarterback
Before Tom Brady was GOAT, Joe Montana held that title for a good quarter-century. Like Brady, Joe Cool didn’t enter the NFL with much fanfare. He was a third-round pick in the 1979 draft after being a part-time starter at Notre Dame. The rest is history. From 1981-1990, Montana led the 49ers to a 98-33 record. He won four Super Bowls during that span, throwing 11 touchdowns compared to four interceptions in those four big games. Absolutely clutch.
1. Jerry Rice, wide receiver
Yes, we have Jerry Rice atop our list of the best San Francisco 49ers players of all-time. Honestly, it shouldn’t even really be a debate. Rice led the NFL in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns as a sophomore in 1986. It was the start of a dominating stretch that saw the dude put up some ridiculous numbers. From 1986-1996, Rice averaged 91 receptions for north of 1,400 yards. He also came up absolutely huge in the 49ers’ three Super Bowl titles. In those three games, the small-school product caught 28 passes for 512 yards and seven touchdowns. Craziness.
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