San Francisco 49ers: Ranking the 10 Best Quarterbacks in Franchise History

3. Y.A. Tittle

Legend Y.A. Tittle was the 49ers QB from 1951-1960. And during his eight years as the starter, he led the team to five winning records and to their first-ever NFL playoff berth in 1957, where he also earned his first All-Pro team nomination and led the NFL with a 63.1 percent completion percentage.

Tittle threw for 16,016 yards (still fifth-best in franchise history) and 108 TDs (sixth-best in franchise history). He possessed an extremely strong throwing arm, where he made the deep ball look easy.

Tittle was the QB in 1954 on a 49ers team that boasted the “Million Dollar Backfield” of himself and other future Hall of Famer’s Hugh McElhenny, Joe Perry and John Henry Johnson.

Most impressively, Tittle had a 57 percent winning percentage with the 49ers (45-31-2).

Tittle is also credited with the 49ers innovation of the late 1950s — the “alley-oop” pass – where he threw high to wide receiver R.C. Owens on deep pass patterns for him to go up and catch the ball. Owens caught three of these passes in 1957 — one a game winner and another in a playoff loss to the Detroit Lions.

Though he didn’t win a NFL Championship, Tittle was an outstanding 49ers QB in franchise history but was traded to the New York Giants in 1961.

He fits in nicely on this list at No. 3.

Next: No. 2: Steve Young