Faithful Flashbacks #38: Montana’s First Start

Faithful Flashbacks revisits Joe Montana’s quiet first start before he became the face of San Francisco 49ers history.

Jul 20, 2026, 7:00 AM Updated: 11:28 am

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In honor of the San Francisco 49ers celebrating their 80th anniversary, Sactown Sports is kicking off a countdown of the 80 greatest moments in the franchise’s illustrious history in reverse order called “Faithful Flashbacks.”

From Super Bowl-winning plays to overperforming teams that had minimal expectations, there’s plenty to choose from the team with five titles under its belt.

The voting was conducted by a handful of the Sactown Sports’ staffers before results were compiled into a full list that will count down to the 49ers’ 2026 NFL regular season debut against the Rams in Melbourne, Australia, on September 10th.

Faithful Flashbacks -- San Francisco 49ers 80 Best Moments

Coming in at No. 38 on our ‘Faithful Flashbacks’ countdown of the 80 best moments in franchise history is Joe Montana’s first start with the 49ers.

Looking back at Montana’s beginning now is almost funny, knowing everything that eventually came after it. The Super Bowls, “The Catch,” and the legacy that made him one of the most famous quarterbacks in football history. To this day, some people argue that he is one of, if not the , best quarterback of all time.

In 1979, Montana was just a rookie third-round pick behind Steve DeBerg on a team in the middle of Bill Walsh’s first season as head coach. The 49ers were nowhere close to being the franchise they would become in the 1980s, and Montana’s first start looked much more like a beginning than a breakthrough. That start came on the road against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Montana played only the first half, and it wasn’t exactly a clean debut. The offense struggled out of the gate, and Montana looked like the first-time NFL quarterback that he was at that moment.

There were still flashes, even if they were not the kind that screamed future legend in the moment. Montana’s play fakes were already convincing enough to completely fool the camera operator on the broadcast, a small but funny hint of the feel and deception that would become a focal point of his game.

The best stretch came late in the first half, but the 49ers ultimately lost 13-10, and Montana finished with just 36 passing yards before DeBerg returned in the second half.

Montana’s first start was neither polished nor particularly productive. It didn’t feel like the start of a legendary career, but good things take time. Despite that, his first showing still deserved to make this list because it marked the beginning of an era that would change the 49ers’ franchise history and legacy forever.

More Faithful Flashbacks from Sactown Sports

Upcoming San Francisco 49ers Schedule

Late July 2026 – NFL Training Camps open
Thursday, September 10th – vs. Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia (Season Opener) – 5:35 pm PT
Sunday, September 20th – vs. Miami Dolphins – 1:25 pm PT
Sunday, September 27th – vs. Arizona Cardinals – 1:05 pm PT
Sunday, October 4th – vs. Denver Broncos – 1:25 pm PT

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