SF 49ers: Top 6 wide receiver duos in franchise history

SF 49ers Duo No. 4: Dwight Clark and Freddie Solomon

Years Together: 1979-1985

In the days before a salary cap, it was much easier for teams to keep a lethal wide receiver tandem together for the long run, yet that’s what San Francisco was able to do from the late 1970s through the glory years of the mid 1980s.

Few fans need an introduction to wide receiver Dwight Clark, who was responsible for the greatest play in SF 49ers history. But it’s important to note he was actually the No. 2 option on “The Catch” if fellow wideout Freddie Solomon wasn’t open.

In fact, Joe Montana could have hit Solomon for what would have been a game-winning touchdown just a play before Clark’s memorable catch.

Solomon, Clark’s senior, enjoyed a productive career with the Niners between 1978 and 1985, reaching 4,873 receiving yards during that span and complementing Clark’s own rise to become the franchise’s No. 3 all-time leading pass-catcher. Before the days of Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens and John Taylor, it was actually the tandem of Clark and Solomon who ushered in San Francisco’s dynasty era.

Both in 1981, en route to the SF 49ers’ first Super Bowl, and then again in 1984, which is widely viewed as the best team in franchise history.

The duo combined for 1,617 receiving yards that season, solidifying the two’s spot at No. 4 on this list.