Jim Fahnhorst, 49ers Super Bowl champion, dies at 66

Jim Fahnhorst, a former San Francisco 49ers linebacker who helped the franchise win three Super Bowls, has died at age 66. The 49ers announced his death Thursday, saying the team was deeply saddened by the loss after Fahnhorst died Wednesday.

Over seven seasons with the 49ers, Fahnhorst appeared in 82 games, recording 232 tackles and seven interceptions, and he started 39 of those games. He joined San Francisco after being selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round of the 1982 NFL Draft but never played for Minnesota. He spent two years in the USFL before joining his brother and the 49ers. The elder Fahnhorst, Keith, formed a formidable duo with Jim on the 49ers' line for four seasons.

Both Fahnhorst brothers played college football at the University of Minnesota, the Golden Gophers, and Jim was named first-team All-Big Ten in 1981. Keith Fahnhorst died in 2018 at age 66.

Jim Fahnhorst was drafted by the Vikings in the fourth round of the 1982 NFL Draft but did not play for Minnesota. He spent two years in the USFL before joining the 49ers, where he reunited with his brother. In a 2018 interview, Fahnhorst recalled that his decision to move to San Francisco during training camp was a no-brainer.

During his 49ers tenure, Fahnhorst helped a unit that contributed to three Super Bowl championships. The team issued a statement noting they were deeply saddened by the passing and remembering a player who contributed to a dynasty in the 1980s.

The Fahnhorst family’s ties to the franchise and to Minnesota football run deep. Fahnhorst’s death closes a chapter on a player who helped shape one of the NFL’s most celebrated eras and who shared a rare bond with his brother that linked two storied programs in the Upper Midwest and the Bay Area.