The 49ers are still riding the wave of Brock Purdy-mania, as “Mr. Irrelevant” went 10-1 in the first 11 starts of his NFL career. How much longer will he last behind center for San Fran? Will coach Kyle Shanahan eventually target a more glamorous name?

Purdy cracks this list of the top 49ers QBs of all time. See what legends of the game join him on this Beway Insider ranker. And as usual, all stats are courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.

Who is the San Francisco 49ers Starting Quarterback?

The 49ers 2023 starting quarterback is Brock Purdy, who was the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Who is the San Francisco 49ers backup Quarterback?

The 49ers 2023 backup quarterback is Sam Darnold, the former #2 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Jets.

San Francisco 49ers Quarterbacks History

Here are two names that define almost all of 49ers history: Joe Montana and Steve Young. Montana’s late-career injuries paved the way for Young to step in and continue the Bill Walsh dynasty. The pair helped San Fran win five Super Bowls.

Famous San Francisco 49ers Quarterbacks

Other famous quarterbacks for the 49ers include some 21st-century QBs, like Alex Smith, Colin Kaepernick, and Jimmy Garoppolo. Current QB Brock Purdy is on his way to slotting into that category.

Ranking the Top 10 Best San Francisco 49ers Quarterbacks of all time

  1. Steve Bono, 1989-1993

Former 49ers QB Steve Bono was often the #3 quarterback in San Francisco, but that didn’t stop him from making an impact. With Joe Montana already out for the year in 1991, backup Steve Young got hurt, and in stepped Bono. He led the 49ers to a 5-1 record with 1617 passing yards and an 11-4 TD-INT.

Bono backed up Young for a handful of more seasons before taking over Montana’s job in Kansas City. He would make the Pro Bowl as a Chief to cap off a successful career.

  1. Brock Purdy, 2022-Present

Whether or not you think Brock Purdy would be an elite QB independently of Head Coach Kyle Shanahan’s system, he has the best winning percentage (at the time of writing) in 49ers history. His impressive 10-1 start to regular season games includes 2770 passing yards and a 23-5 TD-INT ratio. In his two full playoff games, he’s 2-0 with 569 yards and 3-0 TD-INT.

Purdy was famously Mr. Irrelevant, meaning he was the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. The fact that he is still on an NFL roster is an accomplishment. With San Francisco rolling toward the playoffs again in 2023, 49ers fans will have to hope to ride the Purdy wave just like they did last year.

NFL analyst Steven Ruiz notably ranked Purdy 25th out of 34 QBs in his QB rankings a few weeks ago.

  1. Alex Smith, 2005-2012

With the first pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, the 49ers were debating between drafting Utah QB Alex Smith and UCal QB Aaron Rodgers. They went with Smith, who accumulated a 38-36-1 career record as the San Francisco starter.

Through 2010, Smith looked like an unmitigated bust. He had never passed for more than 3000+ yards, 20+ touchdowns, or made the playoffs. Then 2011 happened, as the 49ers exploded to a 13-3 record with Smith finally crossing the 3000+ plateau.

He was injured midway through the 2012 season and never got his job back from young QB Colin Kaepernick. Smith still has the sixth most passing yards in franchise history.

  1. Colin Kaepernick, 2012-2016

From an off-the-field perspective, former 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick is arguably the #1 player on this list, helping shape the way athletes interact with racial inequality on a public level.

As a player, he was also pretty good. Kaepernick was a second-round pick by San Francisco in 2011 and backed up stalwart QB Alex Smith before an injury presented him a chance to start midway through the 2012 season.

Kaepernick guided the 49ers on a Super Bowl push with his cannon-of-an-arm and his legs. The team lost the Baltimore Ravens, but Kaepernick rebounded with Pro Bowl-level campaigns in both 2013 and 2014. Once HC John Harbaugh left the wheels fell off a bit, as his performance levels dipped slightly in both 2015 and 2016.

Kaepernick has the eighth most passing yards in team history and is arguably the second-best rushing QB in 49ers history (behind Steve Young).

  1. Jimmy Garoppolo, 2017-2022

Current Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo still has the same critics as Brock Purdy: is he independently good, or is his reputation inflated because he played under Kyle Shanahan and alongside fantastic 49ers defenses?

Garoppolo went 38-17 as a starter for San Francisco and a further 4-2 in the playoffs, notably beating QB Aaron Rodgers twice. His best season came in 2019, as the team went 13-3 and Jimmy G threw for 3979 yards and 27 touchdowns before falling short in the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Injuries cost Garoppolo most of the 2018, 2020, and part of the 2022 season. An intriguing question remains: Could he have been higher up this list and potentially still the starting QB in San Francisco without them?

  1. Jeff Garcia, 1999-2003

Former San Francisco quarterback Jeff Garcia took a circuitous path to the Bay Area, starring for the Calgary Stampede in the CFL after going undrafted in the 1994 NFL Draft. The 49ers signed him ahead of the 1998 season to backup QB Steve Young, but an injury to the Hall of Famer gave Garcia a chance midway through the 1999 campaign,

Garcia had a rocky relationship with star WR Terrell Owens off the field, but on the field the pair were dynamite. The QB ripped off three straight Pro Bowl seasons from 2000-2002. Coming off back-to-back playoff berths in 2001-2002, the team regressed as a whole in 2003 and Garcia was released following the season.

In all, his 16408 passing yards are the fourth-most in team history.

  1. Y.A. Tittle, 1951-1960

One of the first superstars in San Francisco, former 49ers QB Y.A. Tittle was a 4x Pro Bowler for the 49ers. While he turned into an MVP-winning quarterback later in his career with the New York Giants, Tittle still was successful in the Bay.

Who was the first NFL player on the cover of Sports Illustrated? Y.A. Tittle in 1954! Tittle was part of the famed “Million Dollar Backfield” that never quite lived up to expectations on the field, making the playoffs just a single time.

Tittle is a Pro Football Hall of Famer and has the fifth most passing yards in franchise history.

  1. John Brodie, 1957-1973

Former 49ers QB John Brodie is perhaps one of the most underrated quarterbacks in NFL history. He snatched the starting job in the Bay away from Pro Football Hall of Famer Y.A. Title and started for the team for a decade.

Brodie was a 2x Pro Bowler who led the NFL in passing yards three times and passing touchdowns twice. He seemingly got better with age, winning the 1970 NFL MVP award and led San Fran to what would be the first of three-straight playoff appearances.

The 49ers lost to Dallas three straight times and Brodie retired a season later. He still ranks second in 49ers history for passing yards and third for passing touchdowns.

  1. Steve Young, 1987-1999

Former San Francisco quarterback Steve Young had a bizarre career trajectory before becoming the official 49ers starting QB at age 30 in 1991. He was slated to be drafted in 1984 by the Cincinnati Bengals but balked at the prospect of backing up incumbent QB Ken Anderson and went to the USFL instead. He was back in the NFL two years later and struggled with some truly terrible Tampa Bay Buccaneers teams.

The 49ers acquired Young in 1987 to serve as Joe Montana’s backup and flashed at times, including a sparkling 3-0 record in 1989. By 1992, Montana was in Kansas City and Young was an NFL MVP, guiding the 49ers to a 14-2 record with 3465 passing yards and a league-best 25 passing touchdowns.

Young helped the 49ers win Super Bowl XXIX two seasons later and won yet another NFL MVP award. In all, he was a 7x Pro Bowler and 3x First-team All-Pro who led the NFL in Passing touchdowns 4x times (having WR Jerry Rice helped). He has the third most passing yards in 49ers history and is one of the best QBs of the 1990s.

  1. Joe Montana, 1979-1992

“Joe Cool”, otherwise known as Joe Montana, is the best quarterback in 49ers history. The 1979 third-round pick out of Notre Dame has a litany of achievements in San Francisco, including:

  • 4x Super Bowl titles and 3x Super Bowl MVP
  • 2x NFL MVP Awards
  • 7x Pro Blows and 3x First-team All-Pro selections
  • Member of the NFL’s 1980s All-Decade, 75th, and 100th Anniversary teams
  • Pro Football Hall of Famer

Montana has the most passing yards and touchdowns in 49ers history. Heck, he even led the Kansas City Chiefs to an AFC Championship game after he left the Bay, arguably his greatest accomplishment.

Parameters of Rankings

Rankings are made based on a combination of 1) individual accomplishments, 2) team success, 3) franchise legacy, and 4) personal accolades.

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