Packers vs. 49ers: The story behind the renewal of a great NFL rivalry

A look back at the fascinating recent rivalry of the Packers and 49ers.

In the 1990s, the Green Bay Packers-San Francisco 49ers rivalry was one of the NFL’s most intensely fought battles, with a Packers team led by Brett Favre sending a Niners team led by Steve Young home from the playoffs three times in a four-year span, the Niners’ lone win coming on Terrell Owens’ famous “The Catch II.”

In the years following that famous catch, though, the rivalry began to fade, the teams only facing each other once in the playoffs between 1998 and 2012.

Recently, however, the historic rivalry has begun to resurface. From a superstar quarterback’s 2005 draft snub, to reports of a rift between head coaches that were once friends, to numerous intensely fought playoff battles, the Packers-49ers matchup has again become one of the NFL’s premier rivalries.

The rivalry may reach another peak this Saturday as the teams face each other in the Divisional Round of the NFC playoffs. Before that game, it’s important to look into the history of what makes this matchup so important to the legacies of the coaches, quarterbacks and even each team’s future.

Let’s begin with the moment that marked the start of this rivalry reborn.