Three-time Super Bowl champ Jim Fahnhorst dies

Field Level Media|published: Thu 18th September, 13:47 2025

Jan 22, 1989; Miami, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Keena Turner (58), linebacker Jim Fahnhorst (55), and nose tackle Michael Carter (95) look to tackle Cincinnati Bengals running back Ickey Woods (30) during Super Bowl XXIII at Joe Robbie Stadium. The 49ers defeated the Bengals 20-16. Mandatory Credit: Bob Deutsch-Imagn Images

Three-time Super Bowl winner Jim Fahnhorst has died at the age of 66, the San Francisco 49ers announced on Thursday.

The team announced Fahnhorst passed away on Wednesday but did not divulge a cause of death.

Fahnhorst, a linebacker, played seven years with the 49ers from 1984-90, helping the club win Super Bowls XIX, XXIII and XXIV.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of former linebacker Jim Fahnhorst," the team said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with his family."

Initially selected in the fourth round of the 1982 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, Fahnhorst opted to play in the USFL before joining the 49ers in 1984.

Fahnhorst's older brother, Keith, played as an offensive lineman with the 49ers from 1974-87. He died in 2018, also at the age of 66.

--Field Level Media