5 players who suited up for 49ers and Raiders feat. Jimmy Garoppolo, Jerry Rice
Jimmy Garoppolo officially moved from the San Francisco 49ers to the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday, as he signed a three-year, $72,5 million contract to reunite with Josh McDaniels, his former offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots who's now the head coach for the Raiders.
Garoppolo follows a long list of stars that played for both teams on the West Coast. While it is far from uncommon to see players changing teams, comparing those who are suited for both teams makes for an amazing top five list.
5 NFL stars who played for the 49ers and the Raiders
1 - Jimmy Garoppolo, QB
Garoppolo made the change to the 49ers in 2017 and spent six years with the franchise, leading them to a Super Bowl appearance and another NFC Championship Game. Injuries and a lack of mobility forced head coach Kyle Shanahan to move away from Garoppolo and he signed with the Raiders for three years.
2 - Jerry Rice, WR
Rice, the greatest receiver of all time, spent the first 15 years of his career with the 49ers before moving on to Oakland to play four more seasons with the Raiders and getting to another Super Bowl with them. He's in the Hall of Fame and holds almost every possible record imaginable for a wide receiver.
3 - Rod Woodson, DB
Woodson first played for the San Francisco 49ers in 1997 but did not have much success in his period with the team after a successful start to his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also had a four-year stint with the Baltimore Ravens before closing his career with the Raiders in 2003, also making the Super Bowl with the team a year before his retirement.
4 - Randy Moss, WR
Unlike the other players on this list, Moss' first stint with one of these teams was with the Raiders, where he played for two years before going on to the New England Patriots, the team where he established his reputation as one of the greatest receivers of all-time. His final season was with the 49ers in 2012, and while he was far from his dominant prime, he still played in the Super Bowl with San Francisco that year.
5 - Aldon Smith, DE
Another player from the 2012 Super Bowl team was Aldon Smith, the ultra-talented defensive end who could never fix his off-field issues. He was a top 10 pick for San Francisco in 2011 and instantly became a fantastic player, but the team had no choice other than to release him in 2015 following an arrest. He then signed with the Raiders and played three seasons for them, but could not return to his best level.