5 Best Running Backs in San Francisco 49ers History
The names left off the list of top five San Francisco 49ers running backs is just about as good as some other teams' list top five backs in franchise history.
Unfortunately, you won't find Garrison Hearst, Ken Willard or J.D. Smith here, which means two of the team's top five leading rushers in history and two of the team's five touchdown-scorers in history have been left off. But this is a mighty hard list to crack.
You'll find just about every modern era represented here, as the Niners have maintained a strong history at running back throughout, practically, its entire history.
Here are who we think are the best five to do it in San Francisco.
5. Christian McCaffrey (2022-Present)
McCaffrey has only been with the 49ers for, basically, three-and-a-half seasons. But if you earn two top-four finishes in Most Valuable Player voting, an Offensive Player of the Year award, and a Comeback Player of the Year award, you deserve the No. 5 spot.
Joining the team halfway through the 2022 season, McCaffrey helped the Niners to the NFC championship game at the end of it. The next year, he led the NFL with 1,459 yards rushing en route to that OPoY award and getting San Francisco to the Super Bowl.
And while he played in just four games in 2024 because of injury, McCaffrey bounced back with more than 1,200 yards rushing with 102 receptions for almost 1,000 yards receiving in 2025.
4. Hugh McElhenny (1952-1960)
Honestly, between McElhenny and both the No. 2 and No. 3 players on this list, you could choose to mix them into any order. Two are in the Hall of Fame and the other should be.
McElhenny received his call in 1970 after six Pro Bowl seasons in his 17 years, nine of which came with the 49ers. He was especially good in the 1950s as he earned all-decade status for his run during the decade.
McElhenny earned two first-team All-Pro honors and three second-team All-Pro honors in the '50s. And while he ran for just 4,288 yards with San Francisco, that's more a product of the time in which he played than his talent.
3. Roger Craig (1983-1990)
If you want to place Craig at the No. 2 spot, you'll hear no argument from us. The Nebraska product fundamentally changed the role of the running back in the 1980s thanks to his pass-catching abilities.
Only three players in NFL history have run for 1,000 yards and caught 1,000 yards worth of passes ever. Craig was the first, doing so in 1985 when he went for 1,050 on the ground and 1,016 through the air to earn his first Pro Bowl trip.
In 1988, he proved he was more than a dual threat as he ran for more than 1,500 yards with nine touchdowns en route to Offensive Player of the Year honors and a third-place finish in MVP voting.
2. Joe Perry (1948-1960, 1963)
No player in franchise history has run for more touchdowns than Perry, who scored 68 times in his 14 seasons in San Francisco. Those seasons came from 1948 to 1960, which means his 8,689 yards rushing are lower than what you might expect considering the length of his stint with the 49ers.
Perry led the league in both yards rushing and rushing touchdowns three different times. His 1953 and 1954 seasons resulted in first-team All-Pro honors as he racked up more than 1,000 yards in each year while running for a combined 18 scores.
1. Frank Gore (2005-2014)
The 49ers' all-time leading rusher was a fairly easy choice for No. 1, despite Gore never truly reaching superstar status over his 17-year career, 10 of which -- the best 10 -- were spent in San Francisco.
With the 49ers from 2005 to 2014, Gore ran for 11,073 yards and 64 touchdowns, while his 16,000 yards rushing rank third in NFL history. Over those 10 years with the 49ers, Gore made five Pro Bowls and a second-team All-Pro.
He ran for at least 1,000 yards in eight of those 10 seasons and helped the club to a Super Bowl and two other NFC championship games.
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This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 7:45 AM.