Is It Time for a Jerry Rice Statue at Levi’s Stadium? Jed York Thinks So
When you think about the San Francisco 49ers’ storied history, a few names immediately come to mind. And at the top of that list-without hesitation-is Jerry Rice.
The NFL’s all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns isn’t just a 49ers legend; he’s the gold standard for wide receivers across generations. So the question now being asked in Niner circles is a big one: Is it finally time for Jerry Rice to get a statue outside Levi’s Stadium?
49ers CEO Jed York certainly thinks so.
Sitting down with Kay Adams during Super Bowl week at Radio Row in downtown San Francisco, York didn’t just entertain the idea-he embraced it with open arms.
“He is the original GOAT,” York said. “Let’s commission it.
Let’s find out - JR, you tell me. Wherever you want it, man, we’ve got you, bud.”
That’s not just lip service. That’s the owner of one of the league’s most iconic franchises publicly putting his stamp on a long-overdue tribute. And judging by Rice’s reaction, the idea hits home in a big way.
“Break down and cry,” Rice said when asked how he’d feel about being immortalized in bronze outside the stadium where the 49ers now call home.
For a player who built his Hall of Fame career on precision, discipline, and unrelenting drive-not to mention three Super Bowl rings and a Super Bowl MVP-that kind of emotion says everything. Rice has always let his play do the talking, but a statue? That’s a moment that would speak volumes.
If it happens, Rice would join two other 49ers legends-Joe Montana and Dwight Clark-who already have statues at Levi’s. The two are immortalized in a life-sized recreation of “The Catch,” the iconic 1982 NFC Championship moment that helped define a dynasty. Montana stands with his arms raised in triumph, while Clark is frozen mid-air, stretching to make one of the most famous grabs in NFL history.
That moment has a clear visual. It’s cinematic.
It’s etched into NFL lore. But when it comes to Rice, York admitted it’s tough to pick just one moment to capture in bronze.
“It’s something big, it’s something flamboyant,” York said. “It’s something that matches the greatest football player ever.”
And that’s the challenge-and the beauty-of honoring someone like Jerry Rice. His greatness wasn’t about one play.
It was about every play. The crispness of every route.
The relentless work ethic. The way he made the extraordinary feel routine.
From Montana to Young, from Candlestick to Levi’s, Rice was the constant-setting records, winning games, and redefining what it meant to be great.
So what would a Jerry Rice statue look like? Maybe it’s him sprinting past defenders on a deep post.
Maybe it’s a toe-tap in the corner of the end zone. Or maybe it’s just Rice mid-stride, arms pumping, eyes locked in-because that’s who he was: a technician, a competitor, and a once-in-a-lifetime talent.
Whatever the final pose ends up being, one thing’s for sure: it’s time. Jerry Rice isn’t just part of 49ers history-he is 49ers history.
And a statue outside Levi’s Stadium would be more than a tribute. It would be a reminder to every fan walking through those gates of what excellence looks like.