San Francisco 49ers: 10 best quarterbacks in franchise history

Niner Noise takes an in-depth look at the 49ers’ rich stable of quarterbacks and ranks the top 10 in franchise history. 

The San Francisco 49ers are a storied franchise that has had its share of elite-level quarterbacks. Some of these quarterbacks have helped the Niners win five Super Bowl championships, while others did all they could to get them there.

The 49ers have had some of the greatest players to ever play the position, and here we look at the top 10 to don the red and gold over the years, dating back to the team’s inception way back in 1946.

Without further delay, here are the 10 best quarterbacks in franchise history.

49ers All-Time Quarterback No. 10: Steve DeBerg

1978-1980

Quarterback Steve DeBerg doesn’t necessarily make this list because of an impressive résumé with San Francisco, a brief tenure that lasted only three seasons and paralleled a time when the 49ers were, putting it simply, awful.

Yet that three-year stretch ended up netting a total of 7,220 passing yards, which still ranks 10th all time in franchise history, putting him squarely on the list.

More importantly, though, DeBerg ended up serving as a mentor for another notable quarterback on this list (you might have heard of him), and that Hall of Famer later credited DeBerg with being one of the most important mentors for his budding career that would translate into the Niners becoming the team of the 1980s.

Have to give DeBerg credit for that.