The San Francisco 49ers have had some great players since 2000, but you wouldn’t know it based off Bleacher Report’s Bay Area sports Mount Rushmore for the past 26 years, which did not include a single San Francisco 49ers player.
The publication has San Francisco Giants legends, Barry Bonds and Buster Posey, and Golden State Warriors legends, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. It’s understandable they’d go heavy on the Giants and Warriors, since the Giants have three World Series wins this millennium and the Warriors have four championships. Plus, it's tough when you limit yourself to four players over a quarter century, so naturally deserving players are going to be left out of the equation.
The Niners could easily have a couple Super Bowls if things had gone their way, but they have no rings to show for it, which means no place on the Mount Rushmore, at least for now.
That could change if the 49ers are able to get the job done and bring home the sixth Lombardi Trophy in the franchise’s history.
The question is who would get a place on Mount Rushmore if that happened in the next few seasons.
Quarterback Brock Purdy seems like the most logical candidate, assuming he is on the field and helps lead the Niners to a Super Bowl. For better or worse, quarterbacks get a lot of the glory, but there’s also a chance that George Kittle could make it onto Mount Rushmore, given how huge a part of the team he’s been since he was drafted in 2017.
Christian McCaffrey could be another choice, since it’s clear San Francisco's fortunes have certainly changed for the better ever since it traded for him back in 2022. The offense would not be the same without him, so if he has another big year and leads them to the promised land, he'd be a great option.
On the defensive side, Fred Warner would be a worthy choice, but a defender may not make it onto Mount Rushmore status unless he had a pick-six to win the Super Bowl in overtime, or something like that.
The 49ers dominated Bay Area sports in the 20th century, but the 21st century has belonged to the Giants and Warriors when it comes to championships. San Francisco has the talent and experience to make a run this upcoming season, so maybe the 2026 campaign will lead to a 49ers player earning Mount Rushmore status this millennium.
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