San Francisco 49ers

Inaugural season: 1946

Home field: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

Owners: Denise DeBartolo York, John York

Team colors: Red, gold, white, black

Overview

The San Francisco 49ers are a professional football team that plays in the West division of the National Football League’s (NFL) National Football Conference (NFC). Founded in 1946, the 49ers were originally part of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), a short-lived professional football league that ultimately merged with the NFL in 1949. One of three AAFC teams to join the NFL, the 49ers eventually became one of the game’s most successful franchises both on and off the field. Between 1981 and 1994, the 49ers won a total of five Super Bowl championships under the leadership of such gridiron legends as quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young, wide receiver Jerry Rice, and coach Bill Walsh, and would later compete in three more Super Bowls (2013, 2020, and 2024). Financially, the 49ers are regularly listed among the NFL’s most valuable franchises. In 2023, the team was worth an estimated $6 billion.

In addition to the team’s accomplishments on the field, the San Francisco 49ers organization is also involved in community and charity causes. The 49ers Foundation serves Bay Area youth through an array of football-based initiatives, while other programs have focused on education and physical activity goals. The combination of football success and local involvement has helped to make the 49ers one of the NFL’s most popular and respected franchises.

History

The San Francisco 49ers were the brainchild of lumber industry businessperson Anthony “Tony” Morabito. Determined to bring professional football to the Bay Area, Morabito sought to convince the NFL that San Francisco was ready for a franchise. Initially, however, the NFL rejected his proposal in favor of maintaining its primarily East Coast geographical structure.

Undaunted, Morabito turned his attention to the AAFC, a then-emergent professional football league looking to establish its first franchises. With the AAFC’s approval, the San Francisco 49ers were officially formed on June 4, 1946. Led by head coach Lawrence “Buck” Shaw, the team played its first game against the Los Angeles Dons on August 24, 1946.

After a run of several successful seasons that ended with an appearance in the 1949 AAFC Championship Game, the 49ers time as an AAFC team came to an end. After the 1949 season, the AAFC ceased operations and merged with the NFL. The 49ers were one of only three AAFC teams to be absorbed into the NFL as part of the merger.

During their early years in the NFL, the 49ers met with relatively little success. The team’s best outing during the 1950s and 1960s came in the 1957 season when they managed to tie the Detroit Lions for the league’s Western division title.

The 49ers’ fortunes began to turn around in the 1970s. Through the early part of the decade, the team started to find success in the postseason and even made it the NFC championship game twice. In 1971, the team moved from its original home at Kezar Stadium to Candlestick Park.

Another major turning point came when Edward J. DeBartolo Jr. took ownership of the 49ers in 1977 and hired offensive specialist Bill Walsh as head coach two years later. Under Walsh’s direction, the 49ers evolved into one of the most dominant teams in NFL history. In the same year they hired Walsh, the 49ers also made the fateful decision to draft Notre Dame quarterback Joe Montana. Together, Walsh and Montana led the team into the most successful era in its history.

The rise of the 49ers dynasty began with a strong 1981 season and playoff run that resulted in a trip to Super Bowl XVI in early 1982. That Super Bowl berth was made possible by the most famous play in 49ers’ history. Playing against the noted rival Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship game, Joe Montana threw a last-minute touchdown pass to wide receiver Dwight Clark that became known as “The Catch.” At the Super Bowl, the 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in a 26–21 victory to secure the first championship title in franchise history.

The 49ers continued to excel through the 1980s. After the 1984 season, they defeated the Miami Dolphins, 38–16, at Super Bowl XIX in early 1985. Four years later, the 49ers faced the Bengals again in Super Bowl XXIII and picked up a third championship with a 20–16 victory. The team’s success continued through the 1989 season after George Seifert took over from Walsh, resulting in a second consecutive and fourth overall championship thanks to a dominant 55–10 Super Bowl XXIV victory over the Denver Broncos.

Although the 49ers’ roll slowed somewhat after Joe Montana sustained an elbow injury that kept him on the sidelines for most of the 1991 and 1992 seasons, backup quarterback Steve Young proved to be a more than adequate replacement. Young eventually led the team to a fifth championship with a 49–26 win over the Los Angeles Chargers at Super Bowl XXIX following the 1994 season.

The Super Bowl XXIX victory essentially signaled the end of the 1980s and 1990s 49ers’ dynasty, however. Division titles in 1995 and 1997 failed to translate to postseason success, and Seifert left after the 1996 season. The team’s decline became particularly apparent after Young retired in 1999.

Over the following decade, the 49ers struggled through some of their worst seasons since the 1970s, earning just two playoff berths, in 2001 and 2002. Even moving from Candlestick Park to the newly constructed Levi’s Stadium in 2006 did little to boost the team’s play.

Things began to improve in the 2010s, especially after quarterback Colin Kaepernick took over for the injured Alex Smith in 2012. Kaepernick quickly proved to be a dynamic player and helped the 49ers advance through the NFC playoffs that season, although they ultimately lost Super Bowl XLVII to the Baltimore Ravens, 34–31. In 2013 the team returned to the NFC Championship game before being eliminated by the Seattle Seahawks. Kaepernick subsequently struggled to replicate his success, however, and the 49ers missed the playoffs the next three years. He also became the subject of nationwide controversy after he began kneeling during the National Anthem as a means of protesting against racial injustice in 2016 and left the team before the 2017 season.

The departure of Kaepernick coincided with the arrival of a new 49ers head coach, Kyle Shanahan, who would oversee a significant rebuild of the team. Former New England Patriots backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was brought in via trade as the team’s new on-field leader. After posting losing records in 2017 and 2018, the 49ers went 13–3 in the 2019 regular season and beat the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers in the playoffs to clinch the seventh conference title in franchise history. However, they lost Super Bowl LIV to a Kansas City Chiefs team led by superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

The 49ers returned to the NFC Championship Game in 2021 and 2022 but lost both times. During this period, the team struggled to find consistency at quarterback, as Garoppolo frequently struggled with injuries before leaving as a free agent before the 2023 season. The 49ers drafted highly touted quarterback prospect Trey Lance third overall in 2021, but he too battled injuries was quickly traded away in favor of Brock Purdy, the last overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

In 2023, the 49ers returned to the NFC Championship but this time were victorious, narrowly defeating the Detroit Lions, 34–31. Super Bowl LVIII saw the 49ers rematch against the Chiefs, and their star quarterback Mahomes, and became the second Super Bowl ever to go into overtime. After leading in the first half, the 49ers ultimately lost 22–25.

Notable Players

Many former San Francisco 49ers players have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Chief among these is quarterback Joe Montana, widely regarded as one of the best ever at his position. Over his thirteen seasons as a 49er, Montana led the team to four Super Bowl championships, won two NFL passing titles, and was twice named Super Bowl MVP. He ultimately retired with more than 40,000 career passing yards, 3,409 completions, and 273 passing touchdowns.

One of Montana’s favorite targets was wide receiver and fellow Hall of Famer Jerry Rice. Considered one of the best receivers in NFL history, Rice set almost every league receiving record, including 1,549 career receptions, more than 22,000 career receiving yards, and 208 total touchdowns.

Steve Young, who eventually replaced Montana as quarterback, also went on to become a Hall of Famer. During his twelve seasons in San Francisco, Young was a dual passing and running threat who led the 49ers to their fifth Super Bowl win in 1995. Over the course of his career, Young threw for more than 33,000 yards and recorded 232 touchdowns.

Another Hall of Fame quarterback with the 49ers was Y. A. Tittle, a member of the team for ten seasons between 1951–1960. Tittle passed for 2,221 yards and 20 touchdowns in his first year alone.

Defensive back Ronnie Lott was another key member of the 49ers’ 1980s dynasty who later became a Hall of Famer. During the ten years he spent in San Francisco, Lott helped lead the team to eight divisional titles and four Super Bowls.

Drafted by the 49ers in 1996, wide receiver Terrell Owens had a Hall of Fame career that included 1,078 catches for nearly 16,000 yards and 153 touchdowns.

There have been numerous other notable 49ers as well. For instance, cornerback and kick returner Abe Woodson played in San Francisco from 1958 to 1964 and recorded fifteen interceptions, five kick return touchdowns, and two punt return touchdowns over those years.

A 49er between 2006 and 2015, tight end Vernon Davis put up 441 receptions, 5,640 receiving yards, and 55 receiving touchdowns during his Bay Area career.

After stepping in to replace Steve Young in 1999, quarterback Jeff Garcia played in San Francisco for five seasons and recorded 16,408 passing yards, 113 passing touchdowns, and 21 rushing touchdowns in that time.

A career 49er who played with the team from 1987–1995, wide receiver John Taylor was best known for being a deep threat counterpart to Jerry Rice. Over the course of his career, Taylor recorded 347 receptions, 5,598 receiving yards, and 43 receiving touchdowns.

While he was playing for the 49ers between 2005 and 2014, Frank Gore firmly established himself as one of the team’s all-time great running backs. During his tenure, Gore rushed for 11,073 yards, recorded 2,442 carries, and notched 64 rushing touchdowns.

The only 49er running back to eclipse Gore was Roger Craig, who played for the team from 1983–1990. While in San Francisco, Craig had 1,686 carries for 7,064 rushing yards and 50 rushing touchdowns.

Bibliography

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