Football fans love a good rivalry, but some matchups just carry a different kind of weight. When you look at the Broncos vs 49ers history, you aren't just looking at two teams from different conferences. You’re looking at a weirdly intertwined legacy involving the Shanahan family, a lopsided Super Bowl that changed the league, and a head-to-head record that—honestly—is way closer than you’d expect given the 55-10 scoreline most people remember.
These two squads don't see each other often. They aren't in the same division. They aren't even in the same conference. But whenever the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers show up on the same field, the storylines are basically everywhere.
The Ghost of Super Bowl XXIV
If you’re a Broncos fan over the age of 40, you probably still have nightmares about January 28, 1990. It was the peak of the Joe Montana era. The 49ers didn't just win; they dismantled Denver. It was a 55-10 blowout that remains the largest margin of victory in Super Bowl history.
Joe Montana was clinical. He threw five touchdowns. Jerry Rice caught three of them. John Elway, on the other side, was basically running for his life all night, finishing with a stat line that looked more like a punter's completion percentage.
"The 49ers didn't just beat the Broncos; they changed how the league viewed the AFC's top contenders for a decade." — Common sentiment among NFL historians.
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But here is the thing: that game is an outlier. If you actually look at the regular-season series, it’s remarkably balanced. Before their most recent encounters, the all-time regular-season record stood at a dead-even 8-8. It’s a series defined by defense and bizarrely low-scoring affairs, which is the exact opposite of that New Orleans massacre in 1990.
The Most Recent Chapter: Defense Wins (and Boring) Games
Fast forward to more modern times. Remember that 2022 matchup in Denver? It was a Sunday Night Football game that most fans would probably like to delete from their memories. The Broncos won 11-10. Yes, 11 to 10.
It was ugly. Russell Wilson was struggling to find his rhythm in Denver, and Jimmy Garoppolo famously stepped out of the back of the end zone for a safety—a play that basically summed up the 49ers' night.
Then we had the 2025 preseason opener. Usually, preseason doesn't matter, but this one felt like a statement for Sean Payton’s squad. The Broncos rolled into Levi’s Stadium and walked away with a 30-9 win. Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham looked sharp, while the 49ers—even with some of their high-profile starters getting limited reps—struggled to move the chains once the first-string defense sat down.
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Key Stats from the 2025 Matchup:
- Final Score: Broncos 30, 49ers 9
- Stidham’s Night: 14-of-15 for 136 yards and 2 TDs.
- Bo Nix Debut: 6-of-11 for 31 yards (limited but efficient).
- 49ers Highlight: Mac Jones connected with rookie Jordan Watkins for a 50-yard bomb early, but the offense stalled out after that.
It’s kind of funny how the Broncos vs 49ers matchup fluctuates. You either get a high-stakes historical blowout or a grinding defensive struggle where every field goal feels like a miracle.
The Shanahan Connection
You can’t talk about these two teams without mentioning the family tree. Mike Shanahan is a legend in both cities. He was the offensive coordinator for the 49ers during their Super Bowl XXIX run. Then he went to Denver and won back-to-back rings as the head coach.
Now, his son Kyle Shanahan is the mastermind in San Francisco. There is a specific "Shanahan system" that both franchises have used as their blueprint for decades. This shared DNA makes every meeting feel like a family reunion where everyone is trying to prove they’re the smarter sibling.
What Most People Get Wrong
A lot of casual fans think the 49ers have always dominated this series because of the 1990 Super Bowl. That’s just not true. Denver has actually been a bit of a "kryptonite" team for San Francisco in the regular season.
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The Broncos' defense, historically, has a way of muddying up the 49ers' precision-based offense. Whether it was the Orange Crush or the No Fly Zone, Denver usually plays the Niners tough.
Take Action: What to Watch for Next
If you're following the Broncos vs 49ers dynamic moving forward, here is what you need to track:
- Check the 2026 Preseason Schedule: These two teams frequently schedule joint practices and preseason games because of the geographic proximity and the mutual respect between the coaching staffs.
- Watch the Waiver Wire: These two teams trade players and staff members at a high rate. Because they run similar schemes, a player who fails in Denver's system is often a perfect fit for San Francisco's, and vice versa.
- Keep an Eye on Bo Nix vs Brock Purdy: As both teams move into new eras of quarterback play, their development will dictate how this cross-conference rivalry evolves over the next five years.
The next time these two meet in a game that actually counts for the standings, don't expect a repeat of 1990. History suggests it’ll be a tight, hard-hitting game decided in the fourth quarter.
Monitor the injury reports for the 2026 season openers to see if any cross-over veterans end up on the opposing sidelines. This "friendly" rivalry is anything but once the ball is kicked off.