Faithful Flashbacks #7: First to Five

Faithful Flashbacks revisits Super Bowl XXIX, when Steve Young and the 49ers became the NFL’s first franchise to win five Super Bowls.

BY BRENDEN NUNES

Sep 1, 2026, 8:00 AM Updated: 8:17 am

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27 JAN 1995: THE LOMBARDI TROPHY IS DISPLAYED WITH THE HELMETS REPRESENTING THE TWO TEAMS PARTICIPA...

THE LOMBARDI TROPHY IS DISPLAYED WITH THE HELMETS REPRESENTING THE TWO TEAMS PARTICIPATING IN THE SUPERBOWL DURING A PRESS CONFERENCE AT THE CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL IN MIAMI, FLORIDA. THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS PLAY THE SAN DIEGO CHARGERS IN SUPER

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 on the team with five titles under its belt.

The voting was conducted by a handful of Sactown Sports staffers before the 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. 7 on our ‘Faithful Flashbacks’ countdown of the 80 best moments in franchise history is the 49ers becoming the first NFL franchise to have five Super Bowl victories.

By the time the 1994 season arrived, the 49ers had already become one of the league’s model franchises. They had four Super Bowls on their belt and remained near the top of the NFC despite a quarterback transition from Joe Montana to Steve Young. Young was looking to continue expanding on his own legacy, and the team was hungry for more.

Dallas had beaten the 49ers in back-to-back NFC Championship Games and won the Super Bowl in 1992 and 93. That made the 1994 season feel pretty focused on getting past the Cowboys and winning another championship.

The team was built well enough to have a chance there. Young was already an MVP, Jerry Rice was still the center of the passing game, and the roster had enough familiar names from the franchise’s championship era. San Francisco had also added Deion Sanders to help close the gap with Dallas.

Once San Francisco finally beat the Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game, the Super Bowl became the chance to finish their goal. The 49ers faced the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX, and it felt like they were in control from early on. Young threw a touchdown to Rice less than two minutes in, and San Francisco never let go of the game from there. Getting over Dallas almost felt like the true Super Bowl.

Young finished with six touchdown passes, setting a Super Bowl record and winning game MVP. Rice caught three of them while Ricky Watters caught two, and the 49ers won 49-26. It was the first championship without Montana and gave Young his own Super Bowl as San Francisco’s starting quarterback.

At that moment, the 49ers franchise became the first team in NFL history to win five Super Bowls, moving ahead of every other organization in the race for championships. That raised the team’s standard to an extent that still exists today. Every great San Francisco roster is compared to the teams that finished the job. Every Super Bowl trip without a win has been tied back to the franchise still chasing No. 6.

Super Bowl XXIX remains the last time San Francisco reached the top. It was the closing championship of the 49ers’ dynasty years, but it also left behind the number the franchise has been trying to add to for three decades.

More Faithful Flashbacks from Sactown Sports

Upcoming San Francisco 49ers Schedule

Regular Season

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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