It started, like many 49ers classics, with a quiet move behind the line—no cameras, no confetti, just Joe Montana in command. Only this time, the field wasn’t Candlestick, and the scoreboard wasn’t lit. Instead, it was an Instagram post. No helmet. Just legacy. As the 49ers legend rolled out his latest venture—an accelerator for small businesses through Verizon’s $5 billion supplier initiative—he wasn’t throwing touchdowns. He was throwing lifelines.

“Winners, I am convinced, imagine their dreams first. They want it with all their heart and expect it to come true. There is, I believe, no other way to live. “ Montana once said, his voice as steady as the hand that delivered four Lombardi Trophies to San Francisco. Decades after etching his name into NFL lore, the man nicknamed “Joe Cool” is still orchestrating comebacks—this time for small businesses.

On Instagram, Montana recently teamed up with Verizon to launch their Small Business Supplier Diversity Accelerator, a $5 billion initiative over five years aimed at propelling mom-and-pop shops into major corporate supply chains through mentorship, flexible payment terms, and real-world exposure to Fortune 500 contracts. “As a long-time investor in small businesses, it’s awesome to see Verizon continuing to show its support,” he posted.

The initiative also provides guidance on navigating procurement processes and access to executive-level coaching. For small businesses looking for an opening, Montana just called the perfect audible. For a man who turned 32 fourth-quarter deficits into folklore, it felt familiar—calm in the clutch, purposeful in execution. And if Joe Cool was offering support, you knew it wasn’t fluff. It was strategy.

If Montana’s pivot to venture capitalism feels like a well-timed audible, consider this: the QB who once threaded passes through coverage now threads capital into underserved enterprises. Verizon’s program—offering mentorship, flexible payment terms, and a pipeline to Fortune 500 contracts—mirrors Montana’s on-field genius: precision, patience, and an eye for open opportunities.

‘This isn’t charity,’ he might as well have said. ‘It’s coaching.’ Meanwhile, Montana’s old partner-in-crime, Jerry Rice—the NFL’s ‘actual’ G.O.A.T. with 22,895 receiving yards—is firing up his own squad

Rice’s rally cry: GOAT energy meets Montana grit

While Montana was drawing up plays for small business owners, his iconic receiving partner Jerry Rice was turning Wednesdays into game day. On May 14, the NFL’s all-time leader in receptions blasted a challenge to his 822k followers: “HEY WEDNESDAY! I’M NOT BACKING DOWN TO YOU TODAY! HOLLA, IF YOU FEEL LIKE I DO ….LET’S GOAT and BE GREAT.” It’s classic Rice: relentless, fiery, and dripping with the same intensity that fueled his 14 seasons with 1,000+ yards.

It was peak Rice—motivational, charged, and unapologetically intense. The man whose 208 touchdowns were powered by a fanatical work ethic now channels that fire into business and branding. Through his energy drink brand G.O.A.T. Fuel—infused with cordyceps mushrooms and inspired by his football grind—Rice has become a post-retirement powerhouse in the health and performance space.

Rice’s message echoed one of his most famous quotes: “Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can’t.” And that mindset now fuels entrepreneurs, fitness lovers, and followers who respond to his relentless drive.

Montana and Rice’s synergy—67 touchdowns, two Super Bowl rings—was built on trust and timing. Today, their plays just look different. Montana, ever the strategist, leverages his Hall of Fame poise to empower small businesses, much like his 92-yard drive in Super Bowl XXIII: calculated, clutch, and destined for the end zone. Rice, meanwhile, attacks complacency like a cornerback blitz, his social-media rallies echoing the work ethic that made him a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Their paths diverge, but the mission aligns: greatness isn’t retired—it’s repurposed. As The Wire’s Stringer Bell once growled, ‘Money ain’t got no owners—only spenders.’ Montana and Rice? They’re spending their legacies on lifting others. Now that’s a dynasty.