| 1998 San Francisco 49ers season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Owner | Edward J. DeBartolo Jr. |
| General manager | John McVay and Dwight Clark |
| Head coach | Steve Mariucci |
| Offensive coordinator | Marty Mornhinweg |
| Defensive coordinator | John Marshall |
| Home field | 3Com Park |
| Results | |
| Record | 12–4 |
| Division place | 2nd NFC West |
| Playoff finish | Won Wild Card Playoffs (vs. Packers) 30–27 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Falcons) 18–20 |
| Pro Bowlers | G Kevin Gogan QB Steve Young WR Jerry Rice RB Garrison Hearst MLB Winfred Tubbs |
The 1998 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 49th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their 53rd overall. The 49ers were heavily favored to represent the NFC in Super Bowl XXXIII.
The season saw the return of Jerry Rice, who missed most of 1997 with a major knee injury.
After defeating the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round of the playoffs, thanks to young Terrell Owens's game-winning catch, referred to by fans as "The Catch II", San Francisco's season ended with a loss to the Atlanta Falcons the following week in the divisional round. The Falcons went on to defeat the 15–1 Minnesota Vikings in the NFC title game but lost to the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl.
1998 would prove to be the final full season of Steve Young's career. In Week 3 of the following season, Young suffered a concussion on a violent sack by Cardinals cornerback Aeneas Williams which ultimately ended his 15-year NFL career. Also in the divisional-round game, 49ers running back Garrison Hearst broke his foot, keeping him out of football for the next two seasons. Hearst was the first NFL player to be on the cover of Madden NFL, and his injury marked the beginning of the Madden curse.