NFL Team by Team Guide: San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers were founded in 1946 as a charter member of the old All-America Football Conference and joined the NFL in 1949 when the two leagues merged in 1949. The 49ers were the first professional sports franchise in the Bay area and took their name from those who came to the area looking for riches in the 1849 Gold Rush.
The 49ers are one of the more successful franchises in the NFL have won five Super Bowl titles. All five were won between 1981 and 1994, which represents one of the league’s greatest dynasties. San Francisco ranks fourth all-time in postseason wins and have been to the NFL playoffs 27 times.
San Francisco games are popular on national broadcasts such as Monday Night Football and Sunday Night Football. Nationally televised games are available on networks such as FOX Sports, CBS, NBC, ESPN, and the NFL Network. Regional games are shown on FOX Sports and CBS. Fans can watch most of the 49ers complete TV schedule using a live streaming service such as HULU, fuboTV, or CBS All Access.
Home of the 49ers
The 49ers originally played at Kezar Stadium before moving to Candlestick Park in 1971. They remained there until 2013 and moved into their current home, Levi’s Stadium, in 2014. The stadium is located in Santa Clara, which is about 40 miles south of San Francisco. Levi’s Stadium seats 68,500 fans for home games.
Championship History
The 49ers have made 27 postseason appearances, one in the old AAFC and 26 NFL playoff appearances. That includes 20 division championships. San Francisco has won seven NFC titles and played in seven Super Bowls.
The 49ers dynasty of the 1980s and early 1990s won five Super Bowls. The franchise holds numerous NFL records like most NFC championship games played (10).
Best of the 49ers
Head coach Bill Walsh was the architect of the Niners’ dynasty of the 1980s. He would lead San Francisco to three Super Bowls and was twice named the NFL’s Coach of the Year (1981, 1984). Walsh had a career coaching record 102-63-1 which includes 10 wins in 14 postseason games. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.
Joe Montana was one of the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks of all-time. Just a third-round draft pick, Montana would go on to lead the 49ers to four Super Bowl titles and earn three Super Bowl MVPs in the process. Montana was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1989 and the league’s MVP in 1989 and 1990. He was an eight-time Pro Bowler and a six-time All-Pro. Montana was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2000.
Montana’s favorite wide receiver was Jerry Rice, another Hall of Famer who still holds most of the NFL’s receiving records. Rice was a 13-time Pro Bowl selection and was a first-team All-Pro ten times. Rice led the NFL in receiving yards six times, receiving touchdowns six times, and receptions twice. In 1987 and 1993, he was the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year. Because of the number of records Rice holds, he is regarded as the greatest NFL receiver of all-time.