List of San Francisco 49ers seasons

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This article is a list of seasons completed by the San Francisco 49ers, an American football franchise representing the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers are members of the West division in the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League (NFL). The list documents the season-by-season records of the 49ers' franchise from 1946 to present, including postseason records, and league awards for individual players or head coaches. The San Francisco 49ers began play in 1946 as charter members of the All-America Football Conference. When the 49ers joined the NFL after the AAFC-NFL merger in 1950, they never won a division or conference title, and only finished as high as second once from 1950 to 1969. After winning three consecutive division titles from 1970 to 1972, they would return to losing in 1973 and achieved only one winning season for the rest of the decade. From 1981 to 1998, the 49ers had one of the most successful stretches of dominance in NFL history. Armed with Bill Walsh's innovative West Coast offense, Hall of Fame level quarterback play in Joe Montana and later Steve Young, and a dominant defense, the 49ers would win five Super Bowls in 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989, and 1994, and made the playoffs every year but 1982 and 1991 during their run of dominance.

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Another playoff drought lasted from 20032010, a stretch of eight non-winning seasons. This drought came to end under rookie head coach Jim Harbaugh when the 49ers won their division with a 13–3 record in 2011. From 2011 to 2013, they earned three straight berths in the NFC Championship Game, which included a loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII. They would have another stretch of non-winning seasons from 20142018 before a 13–3 turnaround season in 2019 saw them win the NFC, but lose to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV. Since losing Super Bowl LIV, the 49ers have been to two NFC Conference Championship Games and another Super Bowl in the last three seasons, losing both NFCCGs on the road and Super Bowl LVIII once again to the Chiefs.

Seasons

NFL champions (1920–1969)§ Super Bowl champions (1966–present) Conference champions * Division champions ^ Wild Card berth # One-game playoff berth +
Season Team League ConferenceDivisionFinishWLT Postseason resultsAwardsHead coaches
1946 1946 AAFC Western2nd950 Buck Shaw
1947 1947 AAFCWestern2nd842
1948 1948 AAFCWestern2nd1220
1949 1949 AAFC2nd#930Won First-Round Playoffs (Yankees) 17–7
Lost AAFC Championship (at Browns) 7–21
1950 1950 NFLNational5th390
1951 1951 NFLNational3rd741
1952 1952 NFLNational3rd750
1953 1953 NFLWestern3rd930
1954 1954 NFLWestern3rd741
1955 1955 NFLWestern5th480 Red Strader
1956 1956 NFLWestern3rd561 Frankie Albert
1957 1957 NFLWestern2nd+840Lost Conference Playoff (Lions) 27–31
1958 1958 NFLWestern4th660
1959 1959 NFLWestern4th750 Red Hickey
1960 1960 NFLWestern3rd750
1961 1961 NFLWestern5th761
1962 1962 NFLWestern5th680
1963 1963 NFLWestern7th2120Red Hickey (0–3)
Jack Christiansen (2–9)
1964 1964 NFLWestern7th4100Jack Christiansen
1965 1965 NFLWestern4th761
1966 1966 NFLWestern4th662
1967 1967 NFLWestern Coastal 3rd770
1968 1968 NFLWesternCoastal3rd761 Dick Nolan
1969 1969 NFLWesternCoastal4th482
1970 1970 NFLNFCWest^1st^1031Won Divisional Playoffs (at Vikings) 17–14
Lost NFC Championship (Cowboys) 10–17
John Brodie (MVP)
Bruce Taylor (DROY)
1971 1971 NFLNFCWest^1st^950Won Divisional Playoffs (Redskins) 24–20
Lost NFC Championship (at Cowboys) 3–14
1972 1972 NFLNFCWest^1st^851Lost Divisional Playoffs (Cowboys) 28–30
1973 1973 NFLNFCWest4th590
1974 1974 NFLNFCWest2nd680
1975 1975 NFLNFCWest2nd590
1976 1976 NFLNFCWest2nd860 Monte Clark
1977 1977 NFLNFCWest3rd590 Ken Meyer
1978 1978 NFLNFCWest4th2140 Pete McCulley (1–8)
Fred O'Connor (1–6)
1979 1979 NFLNFCWest4th2140 Bill Walsh
1980 1980 NFLNFCWest3rd6100
1981 1981 NFLNFC*West^1st^1330Won Divisional Playoffs (Giants) 38–24
Won NFC Championship (Cowboys) 28–27
Won Super Bowl XVI (1) (vs. Bengals) 26–21
Joe Montana (SB MVP)
Bill Walsh (COY)
1982 1982 NFLNFCWest11th1360
1983 1983 NFLNFCWest^1st^1060Won Divisional Playoffs (Lions) 24–23
Lost NFC Championship (at Redskins) 21–24
1984 1984 NFLNFC*West^1st^1510Won Divisional Playoffs (Giants) 21–10
Won NFC Championship (Bears) 23–0
Won Super Bowl XIX (2) (vs. Dolphins) 38–16
Joe Montana (SB MVP)
1985 1985 NFLNFCWest2nd#1060Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Giants) 3–17
1986 1986 NFLNFCWest^1st^1051Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Giants) 3–49 Joe Montana (CBPOY)
1987 1987 NFLNFCWest^1st^1320Lost Divisional Playoffs (Vikings) 24–36 Jerry Rice (OPOY)
1988 1988 NFLNFC*West^1st^1060Won Divisional Playoffs (Vikings) 34–9
Won NFC Championship (at Bears) 28–3
Won Super Bowl XXIII (3) (vs. Bengals) 20–16
Jerry Rice (SB MVP)
Roger Craig (OPOY)
1989 1989 NFLNFC*West^1st^1420Won Divisional Playoffs (Vikings) 41–13
Won NFC Championship (Rams) 30–3
Won Super Bowl XXIV (4) (vs. Broncos) 55–10
Joe Montana (MVP, SB MVP, OPOY) George Seifert
1990 1990 NFLNFCWest^1st^1420Won Divisional Playoffs (Redskins) 28–10
Lost NFC Championship (Giants) 13–15
Joe Montana (MVP)
1991 1991 NFLNFCWest3rd1060
1992 1992 NFLNFCWest^1st^1420Won Divisional Playoffs (Redskins) 20–13
Lost NFC Championship (Cowboys) 20–30
Steve Young (MVP, OPOY)
1993 1993 NFLNFCWest^1st^1060Won Divisional Playoffs (Giants) 44–3
Lost NFC Championship (at Cowboys) 21–38
Jerry Rice (OPOY)
Dana Stubblefield (DROY)
1994 1994 NFLNFC*West^1st^1330Won Divisional Playoffs (Bears) 44–15
Won NFC Championship (Cowboys) 38–28
Won Super Bowl XXIX (5) (vs. Chargers) 49–26
Steve Young (MVP, SB MVP)
Deion Sanders (DPOY)
1995 1995 NFLNFCWest^1st^1150Lost Divisional Playoffs (Packers) 17–27 Jerry Rice (PB MVP)
1996 1996 NFLNFCWest2nd#1240Won Wild Card Playoffs (Eagles) 14–0
Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Packers) 14–35
1997 1997 NFLNFCWest^1st^1330Won Divisional Playoffs (Vikings) 38–22
Lost NFC Championship (Packers) 10–23
Dana Stubblefield (DPOY) Steve Mariucci
1998 1998 NFLNFCWest2nd#1240Won Wild Card Playoffs (Packers) 30–27
Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Falcons) 18–20
1999 1999 NFLNFCWest4th4120 Bryant Young (CBPOY)
2000 2000 NFLNFCWest4th6100
2001 2001 NFLNFCWest2nd#1240Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Packers) 15–25 Garrison Hearst (CBPOY)
2002 2002 NFLNFCWest^1st^1060Won Wild Card Playoffs (Giants) 39–38
Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Buccaneers) 6–31
2003 2003 NFLNFCWest3rd790 Dennis Erickson
2004 2004 NFLNFCWest4th2140
2005 2005 NFLNFCWest4th4120 Mike Nolan
2006 2006 NFLNFCWest3rd790
2007 2007 NFLNFCWest3rd5110 Patrick Willis (DROY)
2008 2008 NFLNFCWest2nd790Mike Nolan (2–5)
Mike Singletary (5–4)
2009 2009 NFLNFCWest2nd880Mike Singletary
2010 2010 NFLNFCWest3rd6100Mike Singletary (5–10)
Jim Tomsula (1–0)
2011 2011 NFLNFCWest^1st^1330Won Divisional Playoffs (Saints) 36–32
Lost NFC Championship (Giants) 17–20 (OT)
Jim Harbaugh (COY) Jim Harbaugh
2012 2012 NFLNFC*West^1st^1141Won Divisional Playoffs (Packers) 45–31
Won NFC Championship (at Falcons) 28–24
Lost Super Bowl XLVII (vs. Ravens) 31–34
2013 2013 NFLNFCWest2nd#1240Won Wild Card Playoffs (at Packers) 23–20
Won Divisional Playoffs (at Panthers) 23–10
Lost NFC Championship (at Seahawks) 17–23
2014 2014 NFLNFCWest3rd880
2015 2015 NFLNFCWest4th5110 Anquan Boldin (MOY)Jim Tomsula
2016 2016 NFLNFCWest4th2140 Chip Kelly
2017 2017 NFLNFCWest4th6100 Kyle Shanahan
2018 2018 NFLNFCWest3rd4120
2019 2019 NFLNFC*West^1st^1330Won Divisional Playoffs (Vikings) 27–10
Won NFC Championship (Packers) 37–20
Lost Super Bowl LIV (vs. Chiefs) 20–31
Nick Bosa (DROY)
2020 2020 NFLNFCWest4th6100
2021 2021 NFLNFCWest3rd#1070Won Wild Card Playoffs (at Cowboys) 23–17
Won Divisional Playoffs (at Packers) 13–10
Lost NFC Championship (at Rams) 17–20
2022 2022 NFLNFCWest^1st^1340Won Wild Card Playoffs (Seahawks) 41–23
Won Divisional Playoffs (Cowboys) 19–12
Lost NFC Championship (at Eagles) 7–31
Nick Bosa (DPOY)
2023 2023 NFLNFC*West^1st^1250Won Divisional Playoffs (Packers) 24–21
Won NFC Championship (Lions) 34–31
Lost Super Bowl LVIII (vs. Chiefs) 22–25 (OT)
Christian McCaffrey (OPOY)

Statistics above are current as of February 11, 2024.

All-time records

StatisticWinsLossesTiesWin %
All-America Football Conference regular season record38142.722
AAFC postseason record11.500
National Football League regular season record58650014.539
NFL postseason record3824.613
AAFC and NFL regular and postseason record66353916.551

1 Due to a strike-shortened season in 1982, all teams were ranked by conference instead of division.

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