List of San Francisco 49ers starting quarterbacks explained

These quarterbacks have started at least one game for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. They are listed in order of the date of each player's first start at quarterback for the 49ers.

Starting quarterbacks

The number of games they started during the season is listed to the right in parentheses.

Regular season

Season(s)	Quarterback(s)
	Frankie Albert
	Frankie Albert
	Frankie Albert
	Frankie Albert
	Frankie Albert (12)
	Frankie Albert (11) / Y. A. Tittle (1)
	Frankie Albert (7) / Y. A. Tittle (5)
	Y. A. Tittle (10) / Jim Powers (2)
	Y. A. Tittle (11) / Jim Cason (1)
	Y. A. Tittle (12)
	Y. A. Tittle (8) / Earl Morrall (4)
	Y. A. Tittle (11) / John Brodie (1)
	Y. A. Tittle (6) / John Brodie (6)
	Y. A. Tittle (10) / John Brodie (2)
	John Brodie (8) / Y. A. Tittle (4)
	John Brodie (14)
	John Brodie (14)
	Lamar McHan (9) / John Brodie (3) / Bob Waters (2)
	John Brodie (12) / George Mira (2)
	John Brodie (13) / George Mira (1)
	John Brodie (13) / George Mira (1)
	John Brodie (10) / George Mira (2) / Steve Spurrier (2)
	John Brodie (14)
	John Brodie (10) / Steve Spurrier (4)
	John Brodie (14)
	John Brodie (14)
	Steve Spurrier (9) / John Brodie (5)
	John Brodie (6) / Steve Spurrier (5) / Joe Reed (3)
	Tom Owen (7) / Joe Reed (4) / Dennis Morrison (2) / Norm Snead (1)
	Norm Snead (7) / Steve Spurrier (6) / Tom Owen (1)
	Jim Plunkett (12) / Scott Bull (2)
	Jim Plunkett (14)
	Steve DeBerg (11) / Scott Bull (5)
	Steve DeBerg (15) / Joe Montana (1)
	Steve DeBerg (9) / Joe Montana (7)
	Joe Montana (16)
	Joe Montana (9)
	Joe Montana (16)
	Joe Montana (15) / Matt Cavanaugh (1)
	Joe Montana (15) / Matt Cavanaugh (1)
	Joe Montana (8) / Jeff Kemp (6) / Mike Moroski (2)
	Joe Montana (11) / Steve Young (3) / Bob Gagliano (1)
	Joe Montana (13) / Steve Young (3)
	Joe Montana (13) / Steve Young (3)
	Joe Montana (15) / Steve Young (1)
	Steve Young (10) / Steve Bono (6)
	Steve Young (16)
	Steve Young (16)
	Steve Young (16)
	Steve Young (11) / Elvis Grbac (5)
	Steve Young (12) / Elvis Grbac (4)
	Steve Young (15) / Jim Druckenmiller (1)
	Steve Young (15) / Ty Detmer (1)
	Jeff Garcia (10) / Steve Stenstrom (3) / Steve Young (3)
	Jeff Garcia (16)
	Jeff Garcia (16)
	Jeff Garcia (16)
	Jeff Garcia (13) / Tim Rattay (3)
	Tim Rattay (9) / Ken Dorsey (7)
	Alex Smith (7) / Tim Rattay (4) / Ken Dorsey (3) / Cody Pickett (2)
	Alex Smith (16)
	Alex Smith (7) / Trent Dilfer (6) / Shaun Hill (2) / Chris Weinke (1)
	Shaun Hill (8) / J. T. O'Sullivan (8)
	Alex Smith (10) / Shaun Hill (6)
	Alex Smith (10) / Troy Smith (6)
	Alex Smith (16)
	Alex Smith (9) / Colin Kaepernick (7)
	Colin Kaepernick (16)
	Colin Kaepernick (16)
	Colin Kaepernick (8) / Blaine Gabbert (8)
	Colin Kaepernick (11) / Blaine Gabbert (5)
	Brian Hoyer (6) / C. J. Beathard (5) / Jimmy Garoppolo (5)
	Nick Mullens (8) / C. J. Beathard (5) / Jimmy Garoppolo (3)
	Jimmy Garoppolo (16)
	Nick Mullens (8) / Jimmy Garoppolo (6) / C. J. Beathard (2)
2021	Jimmy Garoppolo (15) / Trey Lance (2)
2022	Jimmy Garoppolo (10) / Brock Purdy (5) / Trey Lance (2)
2023	Brock Purdy (16) / Sam Darnold (1)

1982 NFL season was shorted to 9 games do to a 57-day player strike^[1]

Postseason

In the NFL era (since 1950 season)

Season	Quarterback(s)
	Y. A. Tittle (0–1)
	John Brodie (1–1)
	John Brodie (1–1)
	John Brodie (0–1)
	Joe Montana (3–0)
	Joe Montana (1–1)
	Joe Montana (3–0)
	Joe Montana (0–1)
	Joe Montana (0–1)
	Joe Montana (0–1)
	Joe Montana (3–0)
	Joe Montana (3–0)
	Joe Montana (1–1)
	Steve Young (1–1)
	Steve Young (1–1)
	Steve Young (3–0)
	Steve Young (0–1)
	Steve Young (1–1)
	Steve Young (1–1)
	Steve Young (1–1)
	Jeff Garcia (0–1)
	Jeff Garcia (1–1)
	Alex Smith (1–1)
	Colin Kaepernick (2–1)
	Colin Kaepernick (2–1)
	Jimmy Garoppolo (2–1)
	Jimmy Garoppolo (2–1)
2022	Brock Purdy (2–1)
2023	Brock Purdy (2–1)

Most games as starting quarterback

These quarterbacks have the most starts for the 49ers in regular season games in the NFL era (since 1950 season).

Name
GP	Games played
GS	Games started
W	Number of wins as starting quarterback
L	Number of losses as starting quarterback
T	Number of ties as starting quarterback
Pct	Winning percentage as starting quarterback

Name	Period	GP	GS	W	L	T	%
	1957–1973	201	159	74	77	8	.491
	1979–1992	168	140	101	39	—	.721
	1987–1999	150	124	91	33	—	.734
	1951–1960	112	79	46	31	2	.595
	2005–2012	80	75	38	36	1	.513
	1999–2003	74	71	35	36	—	.493
	2011–2016	69	58	28	30	—	.483
	2017–2022	57	55	38	17	—	.691

Team career passing records

In the NFL era (since 1950 season)

Name	Comp	Att	%	Yds	TD	Int
	2,929	4,600	63.7	35,124	244	123
	2,469	4,491	55.0	31,548	214	224
	2,400	3,648	65.8	29,907	221	86
	1,449	2,360	61.4	16,408	113	56
	1,290	2,177	59.3	14,280	81	63
	1,226	2,194	55.9	16,016	108	134
	1,104	1,632	67.6	13,599	82	42

See also

• Lists of NFL starting quarterbacks

Notes and References

1. Web site: News . New York Daily . November 16, 2015 . NFL strike ends after 57 days in 1982 . May 1, 2024 . New York Daily News . en-US.