Every era of San Francisco 49ers football, one lineup. These are the highest-rated San Francisco 49ers legends across the 1960s to today — a full 11 on both sides of the ball, chosen by iKnoBall's era-adjusted engine — and the record they'd post over a 17-game season.
Offense is weighted 55%, defense 45% — exactly how iKnoBall scores a roster. Think you'd start a different 11? Prove it.
Joe Montana headlines the group at a 99 overall — the kind of number only genuine all-time greats reach on iKnoBall's scale. Around Montana, the model fills out a complete lineup that balances quarterback play, skill-position firepower, the trenches, and a defense across San Francisco 49ers history, then simulates all 17 games. The result — 14–3 — reflects both the raw talent and how the pieces fit on both sides of the ball.
Every San Francisco 49ers legend in the iKnoBall pool, ranked by era-adjusted overall. The top group forms the starting 11 above; the rest are the depth chart and the debate.
| Player | Position | Era | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Montana | Quarterback | 1980s | 99 |
| Christian McCaffrey | Running Back | 2020s | 95 |
| Jerry Rice | Wide Receiver | 1980s | 99 |
| Terrell Owens | Wide Receiver | 2000s | 97 |
| Trent Williams | Offensive Tackle | 2020s | 98 |
| Nick Bosa | Defensive End | 2020s | 98 |
| Patrick Willis | Linebacker | 2010s | 98 |
| Ronnie Lott | Cornerback | 1980s | 99 |
| Tim McDonald | Strong Safety | 1990s | 87 |
| Steve Young | Quarterback | 1990s | 98 |
| Deion Sanders | Cornerback | 1990s | 99 |
| NaVorro Bowman | Linebacker | 2010s | 96 |
| George Kittle | Tight End | 2020s | 96 |
| Fred Warner | Linebacker | 2020s | 94 |
| Charles Haley | Defensive End | 1980s | 93 |
| Roger Craig | Running Back | 1980s | 93 |
| Justin Smith | Defensive Tackle | 2010s | 93 |
| Joe Staley | Offensive Tackle | 2010s | 93 |
| Bob St. Clair | Offensive Tackle | 1960s | 91 |
| Dwight Clark | Wide Receiver | 1980s | 91 |
| Bryant Young | Defensive Tackle | 1990s | 91 |
| Frank Gore | Running Back | 2010s | 91 |
| Deebo Samuel | Wide Receiver | 2020s | 91 |
| Brandon Aiyuk | Wide Receiver | 2020s | 91 |
| Jimmy Johnson | Cornerback | 1960s | 90 |
| Dave Wilcox | Linebacker | 1960s | 90 |
| Vernon Davis | Tight End | 2010s | 90 |
| Aldon Smith | Defensive End | 2010s | 90 |
| Brock Purdy | Quarterback | 2020s | 90 |
| Javon Hargrave | Defensive Tackle | 2020s | 90 |
Draft your own all-time San Francisco 49ers — or any franchise across five sports — build your roster, and sim a full season chasing a perfect 17–0. Free to play.
Build Your All-Time TeamGet the AppBy iKnoBall's era-adjusted ratings the all-time San Francisco 49ers lineup is Joe Montana (QB, 1980s), Christian McCaffrey (RB, 2020s), Jerry Rice (WR1, 1980s), Terrell Owens (WR2, 2000s), Trent Williams (OL, 2020s), Nick Bosa (DL, 2020s), Patrick Willis (LB, 2010s), Ronnie Lott (CB, 1980s), Tim McDonald (S, 1990s), Steve Young (FLEX-O, 1990s), Deion Sanders (FLEX-D, 1990s). Together they project to a 14–3 regular season.
iKnoBall's simulation projects this 11-man lineup at 14–3 over a 17-game season, with an average starter rating of 97. The model runs each game as a probability from the roster's combined offensive and defensive strength, so an all-time team contends for a near-perfect year but nothing is guaranteed.
Each player's overall is era-adjusted so a 1970s legend and a modern superstar sit on the same 70–99 scale. Offense (QB, skill players, line) is weighted 55% and defense 45%, and only true all-time greats reach the mid-to-high 90s.
Yes — iKnoBall is a free game where you draft one legend per era, build your all-time roster, and simulate a full season chasing a perfect 17–0. Play it free at play.iknoball.com.
All-Time Football · All-Time Basketball · Play iKnoBall · About · Privacy
Ratings are era-adjusted and computed by iKnoBall's simulation engine. Records are model projections for entertainment, not predictions. Player names belong to their respective owners; iKnoBall is an independent fan-made game.