San Francisco 49ers all-time Mount Rushmore
![SANTA CLARA, CA - DECEMBER 20: Former San Francisco 49ers player Jerry Rice is seen during a ceremony honoring the 1981-82 team at halftime of the NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Cincinnati Bengals at Levi's Stadium on December 20, 2015 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) SANTA CLARA, CA - DECEMBER 20: Former San Francisco 49ers player Jerry Rice is seen during a ceremony honoring the 1981-82 team at halftime of the NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Cincinnati Bengals at Levi's Stadium on December 20, 2015 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/29b19f67a16781f16076974ad31deb2c59227694f3b7f9b58e4103002f92c597.jpg)
San Francisco 49ers Mount Rushmore: QB Joe Montana (1979-1992)
We just talked about Steve Young and it is fitting he comes right after Joe Montana on the San Francisco 49ers’ all-time Mount Rushmore. One of the greatest quarterbacks who ever lived, Montana is one of just three quarterbacks with four Super Bowl rings.
The 49ers got a steal when Montana fell to the third round of the 1982 NFL Draft due to concerns about his arm strength. Head coach Bill Walsh saw what Montana could do really well, however, which was pass the ball with accuracy and designed the West Coast offense to play to his strengths.
Montana made his mark in the playoffs, leading late game-winning drives against the Dallas Cowboys in the 1982 NFC Championship Game and the famous fourth-quarter touchdown drive against the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII. San Francisco won plenty of games with Montana, who made various All-Pro teams throughout the 1980s and won two MVP awards in 1989 and 1990.
Injuries, and the arrival of Young, brought an end to Montana’s time with San Francisco in 1993, when he was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs. Montana’s legacy was written long before that deal, however, and his status on the 49ers’ all-time Mount Rushmore is an absolute lock.