Players who played for both the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions
77 NFL players have suited up for both franchises. Here they all are, ranked the way The Chains ranks them, most recognizable first.
77
Players
10
Easy to name
Ball-knower
Best link
Chains matchup: Balanced. Compared with the other 495 team pairs, based on how many of these players are easy to name.
How this plays in The Chains
Every link in a puzzle is scored by how unlikely it was that a fan would name it. Connect a 49ers player to a Lions player through Jerome Davis and the link is rated Ball-knower (+400 bonus points). The obvious answers score little. The deep cuts are where the big points are.
Play today's puzzleEasy to name
Common and Uncommon. The easiest answers between these two teams.
- Common
Anquan Boldin
WR · 2003–2016 · SF 2013–2015, DET 2016
- Common
Reggie Bush
RB · 2006–2016 · SF 2015, DET 2013–2014
- Common
Dre' Bly
DB · 1999–2009 · SF 2009, DET 2003–2006
- Common
Julian Peterson
LB · 2000–2010 · SF 2000–2005, DET 2009–2010
- Common
Ezekiel Ansah
DE · 2013–2020 · SF 2020, DET 2013–2018
- Uncommon
Johnnie Morton
WR · 1994–2005 · SF 2005, DET 1994–2001
- Uncommon
Mohamed Sanu
WR · 2012–2021 · SF 2020–2021, DET 2020
- Uncommon
R.W. McQuarters
DB · 1998–2008 · SF 1998–1999, DET 2005
- Uncommon
Kwon Alexander
MLB · 2015–2024 · SF 2019–2020, DET 2024
- Uncommon
Bryant Johnson
WR · 2003–2011 · SF 2008, DET 2009–2010
In the middle
Real answers, but not the first ones people think of.
- Rare
D.J. Reed
DB · 2018–2026 · SF 2018–2019, DET 2025–2026
- Rare
Rock Ya-Sin
DB · 2019–2026 · SF 2024, DET 2025–2026
- Rare
Tavon Wilson
SS · 2012–2021 · SF 2021, DET 2016–2019
- Rare
Jeff Garcia
QB · 1999–2011 · SF 1999–2003, DET 2005
- Rare
Eric Davis
DB · 1990–2002 · SF 1990–1995, DET 2002
- Rare
Kerryon Johnson
RB · 2018–2021 · SF 2021, DET 2018–2020
- Rare
William James
DB · 2001–2010 · SF 2010, DET 2009
- Rare
Levine Toilolo
TE · 2013–2020 · SF 2019, DET 2018
- Rare
Tai Streets
WR · 1999–2004 · SF 1999–2003, DET 2004
- Rare
Datone Jones
DE · 2013–2020 · SF 2017, DET 2017
- Rare
Akeem Spence
DT · 2013–2022 · SF 2022, DET 2017
- Rare
Rick Mirer
QB · 1993–2004 · SF 2000–2001, DET 2004
- Rare
Nick Bellore
ILB · 2011–2025 · SF 2015–2016, DET 2017–2018
- Rare
Bubba Paris
OL · 1990–1991 · SF 1990, DET 1991
- Rare
Eric Wright
CB · 2007–2013 · SF 2013, DET 2011
- Rare
Joshua Dobbs
QB · 2017–2026 · SF 2024, DET 2026
- Rare
Tramaine Brock
CB · 2010–2020 · SF 2010–2016, DET 2020
- Rare
Josh Johnson
QB · 2008–2025 · SF 2014, 2022, DET 2019
- Rare
Leonard Davis
OL · 2001–2012 · SF 2012, DET 2011
- Rare
Shaun Hill
QB · 2002–2016 · SF 2006–2009, DET 2010–2013
- Rare
Laken Tomlinson
G · 2015–2026 · SF 2017–2021, DET 2015–2016
- Rare
Corey Smith
DE · 2002–2008 · SF 2004–2005, DET 2006–2008
- Rare
Bruce Ellington
WR · 2014–2018 · SF 2014–2015, DET 2018
- Rare
KhaDarel Hodge
WR · 2018–2026 · SF 2026, DET 2021
- Rare
Kerry Hyder
DT · 2015–2023 · SF 2020, 2022–2023, DET 2015–2016, 2018
- Rare
Ricky Jean Francois
DE · 2009–2018 · SF 2009–2012, DET 2018
- Rare
Tracy Walker III
DB · 2018–2024 · SF 2024, DET 2018–2023
- Rare
Eli Harold
OLB · 2015–2018 · SF 2015–2017, DET 2018
- Rare
Travis Kirschke
DL · 1997–2009 · SF 2003, DET 1997–2002
- Rare
Kassim Osgood
WR · 2003–2014 · SF 2013–2014, DET 2012
- Rare
Ross Dwelley
TE · 2018–2025 · SF 2018–2023, DET 2025
- Rare
Gino Torretta
QB · 1993–1997 · SF 1995–1996, DET 1994–1995
- Rare
Keith Smith
CB · 2004–2009 · SF 2009, DET 2004–2008
- Rare
David Akers
SPEC · 1998–2013 · SF 2011–2012, DET 2013
- Rare
Emmanuel Moseley
DB · 2018–2024 · SF 2018–2022, DET 2023–2024
- Rare
J.T. O'Sullivan
QB · 2002–2010 · SF 2008, DET 2007
- Rare
Austin Bryant
DL · 2019–2023 · SF 2023, DET 2019–2022
- Rare
Corey Lemonier
OLB · 2013–2016 · SF 2013–2015, DET 2016
- Rare
Anthony Zettel
DL · 2016–2020 · SF 2019, DET 2016–2017
- Rare
Moran Norris
RB · 2001–2011 · SF 2006–2007, 2009–2011, DET 2008
- Rare
Elijah Lee
LB · 2017–2022 · SF 2017–2019, DET 2020
- Rare
Chase Lucas
DB · 2022–2025 · SF 2025, DET 2022–2023
- Rare
Micheal Spurlock
KR · 2006–2014 · SF 2009, DET 2013
- Rare
Ben Bartch
OL · 2020–2026 · SF 2023–2025, DET 2026
- Rare
Ty Detmer
QB · 1992–2005 · SF 1998, DET 2001–2003
- Epic
Paul Smith
RB · 2000–2007 · SF 2000–2002, DET 2003, 2005
- Epic
Ray Brown
OL · 1990–2005 · SF 1996–2001, DET 2002–2003
- Epic
Darnell Walker
DB · 1993–2000 · SF 1997–1999, DET 2000
- Epic
Tyrone Hopson
OL · 1999–2004 · SF 1999–2000, DET 2001–2002, 2004
- Epic
Marcus Martin
C · 2014–2020 · SF 2014–2016, DET 2020
- Epic
Kyle Kosier
T · 2002–2011 · SF 2002–2004, DET 2005
- Epic
Tommy Vardell
RB · 1992–1999 · SF 1996, 1999, DET 1997–1998
- Epic
Amp Lee
RB · 1992–2001 · SF 1992–1993, DET 2001
- Epic
Nate Sudfeld
QB · 2016–2022 · SF 2021, DET 2022
- Epic
Godwin Igwebuike
DB · 2018–2023 · SF 2018, DET 2021
- Epic
Asa Jackson
CB · 2012–2017 · SF 2017, DET 2016
- Epic
Iheanyi Uwaezuoke
WR · 1996–2000 · SF 1996–1998, DET 1999
- Epic
Tay Martin
WR · 2022–2026 · SF 2022–2023, DET 2026
- Epic
Chuck Thomas
OL · 1990–1992 · SF 1990–1992, DET 1992
The rarest links
The players almost nobody names first, and the biggest bonus in a puzzle.
- Epic
Brock Gutierrez
OL · 1996–2005 · SF 2003–2004, DET 2005
- Epic
Alex Barrett
DL · 2017–2024 · SF 2020, 2024, DET 2017
- Epic
Saivion Smith
DB · 2020–2022 · SF 2021, DET 2021–2022
- Epic
Cole Wick
TE · 2016–2018 · SF 2018, DET 2016
- Epic
Jeremiah Valoaga
DL · 2017–2019 · SF 2019, DET 2017
- Legendary
Chris Hannon
WR · 2006–2008 · SF 2008, DET 2008
- Legendary
Shane Bonham
DL · 1994–1999 · SF 1998–1999, DET 1994–1997
- Ball-knower
Jerome Davis
DL · 1998–2004 · SF 2002–2004, DET 1998
Teams are counted as franchises, so earlier cities and names are included (the Raiders in Oakland, the Rams in St. Louis, the Titans as the Oilers). Rarity tiers come from the same scoring The Chains uses in its daily puzzles. A small set of one-season 2002 entries that couldn't be verified is left out.
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More Lions matchups
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