OFFENSE
QB Colin Kaepernick — Before taking a so cial stand by taking a knee during the national anthem and becoming a divisive and controversial figure, Kaepernick guided the 49ers to two NFC title games, almost won a Super Bowl and enjoyed a brief span as the football world’s next great thing at quarterback thanks to his unique dual-threat abilities.
RB Frank Gore — Also the team’s top running back and rushing champion of the 2010s, the irrepressible Gore’s excellence and durability shined well into the next decade as he hit the peak of a Hall of Fame career with four consecutive seasons of 1,100 or more yards rushing from 2011-2014.
FB Kyle Juszczyk — Simply the best and most versatile fullback of his NFL era, Juszczyk has been selected as a NFC starter in the Pro Bowl three consecutive seasons since joining the 49ers as a free agent in 2017.
WR Anquan Boldin — San Francisco’s top playmaking wideout of the decade, Boldin recorded 237 receptions for 3,030 yards in his three seasons with the team, including back-toback 1,000-yard seasons in 2012-2013.
WR Michael Crabtree — Began the decade with four seasons of 55 receptions or more and 698 yards or more while climbing to No. 12 on the list of San Francisco’s all-time leaders in receptions.
TE George Kittle — All Kittle has done in his first three years with the 49ers is re-define his position as a blocking weapon and receiving threat, gain first-team All-Pro honors and smash the NFL record for most receiving yards in a season by a tight end.
This story is from the February 2020 edition of Niner Report.
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This story is from the February 2020 edition of Niner Report.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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EIGHT IS ENOUGH
Set 49ers lineup still has several new starters
Calling all cornerbacks
Loss of Verrett exposes 49ers’ thin depth at CB
Always finding their way to run
49ers system accomplished at developing homegrown talent
ANOTHER COMEBACK?
Resilient veteran Verrett to miss rest of season
TOP 10 Rookie running backs
THE BACK LIST
STOCK UP STOCK DOWN
DEOMMODORE LENOIR | AMBRY THOMAS
Will Mostert run for 49ers again?
Raheem Mostert was primed this year to be the centerpiece of one of the NFL’s most dynamic offenses, featured as the lead performer in San Francisco’s grinding rushing attack while making his climb among the league’s top running backs.
THE WONDER OF WARNER
49ers make All-Pro star highest-paid LB in NFL
Making the right choice at QB
In the weeks that follow after you read this — and perhaps sometime even sooner than that — Kyle Shanahan and the rest of the 49ers organization will make a titanic decision that will have present, future and perhaps even everlasting implications for the franchise. It will chart the course for the team’s pivotal 2021 season while determining whether San Francisco really does have the juice to return to powerhouse status and again be considered a legitimate contender to get back to the Super Bowl.
TOP 10 Linebacker seasons
Fred Warner vaulted to stardom with a spectacular 2020 season — and the 49ers rewarded him this summer with a $95.225 million deal that makes him the highest-paid inside linebacker in NFL history. By today’s standards, Warner’s performance last year was worth the money as he posted an Approximate Value of 19 — matching the highest score ever recorded by a San Francisco defender according to a Pro Football Reference formula that puts a single number on each player-season across all positions since 1960. Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman (twice) also had seasons with an AV of 19 as they dominate this list of the greatest individual seasons by a linebacker in 49ers history.