Joe Montana critiques 49ers’ deal with Jimmy Garoppolo, ponders their mysterious plans

CLICK HERE if you’re viewing on a mobile device. VIDEO: Joe Montana on Jimmy Garoppolo.

Joe Montana is as curious as everyone about the 49ers’ quarterback position, a throne he elevated by leading San Francisco to four Lombardi Trophy wins.

“You know, the biggest question on everybody’s mind is Garoppolo, and can they keep him healthy,” Montana told me Wednesday in an exclusive video conference.

“Obviously they’re a better team when he’s been playing. But who knows what goes on in those guys’ minds.”

Jimmy Garoppolo has two years remaining on a five-year, $137.5 million deal that was front-loaded, when the 49ers had financial freedom as opposed to this month’s salary cap shrinkage.

“The problem that they did was they paid him so much money in the beginning, which I thought was pretty crazy for an untested guy, particularly,” Montana said.

Montana knows the money game, perhaps the way he once mastered Bill Walsh’s West Coast offense. Joe Cool is an avid venture capitalist, and he is an investor in Fan Controlled Football, an indoor league that’s capturing online viewers since last month’s launch.

Back in the NFL world, the 49ers’ brass continues to publicly endorse Garoppolo, despite constant speculation they’re seeking an upgrade amid a potentially wild market.

Everyone fell crazy in love with Garoppolo upon his 5-0 debut in December 2017. That affection was rekindled amid Garoppolo’s 2019 comeback. He went from knee reconstruction to the Super Bowl spotlight. Then came a late-game, trophy-costing collapse, followed by a 2020 season cut to six starts because of ankle woes.

So, what’s the 49ers’ play call?

“You just don’t know what they’re thinking down there,” Montana added. “Do you want to take a young guy (in the draft) and try to bring in another (veteran)?

“You never know who’s getting traded there. Nobody ever expected Brady to leave New England. I didn’t. It worked out great for him.”

Indeed. Tom Brady, Montana’s approved successor in the greatest-quarterback-ever debate, just won his seventh Super Bowl ring upon joining Tampa Bay. That, after the 49ers considered replacing Garoppolo with him last offseason.

Garoppolo is set to make $24 million in annual base salaries the next two years. His deal could be restructured to create salary cap room, but don’t expect a pay cut, not after coach Kyle Shanahan defended Garoppolo’s price tag as the market rate.

Montana advises Garoppolo to healthy up – and not overdo it.

“Sometimes, we do so much over-preparation when it comes to the physical part, that we weigh ourselves down that way,” Montana said. “I used to lift weights, barely. They would laugh when I went in the weight room.

“You’ve got to be careful, because sometimes you get too heavy of weights and you think you’re doing yourself good but you’re wearing yourself down. Hacksaw Reynolds used to have a saying: ‘The more you do, the more you wear out.’ ”

Montana painfully coped with back and elbow injuries late in his 13-year tenure with the 49ers. Heir apparent Steve Young arrived in 1987, and, once 1993 hit, the 49ers traded Joe Cool to Kansas City.

What advice does Montana have for Garoppolo for trying to get healthy amid constant chatter of being replaced?

“You know what, until they tell you that, you’ve just got to go and prepare and fight, like you did for the times you were healthy,” Montana said.

Montana, 64, is upbeat about his own health. He’s “almost at that number” to move up in the COVID-19 vaccine queue; he turns 65 on June 11. He has a bum knee and a rebuilt throwing shoulder, but, “considering all the surgeries I’ve had, I feel pretty good about it.”

Montana flashed a smile reminiscent of his Super Bowl days when talking about his Liquid2 Ventures firm, a seed stage for startups. “We’re halfway through a raise of our third fund. The first two funds have been doing pretty good,” Montana said. “The first one has 60 unicorns in it already, so we’re pretty happy.”

The Fan Controlled Football league has been a fun enterprise, too. He signed on in 2018 as its chief strategic advisor. The four-team league finally began playing its six-week schedule last month. Fans watching on the Twitch app can draft players and call offensive plays for the 7-on-7 action on a 50-yard field inside an Atlanta-area theater.

“The fun part for me was letting fans have control,” Montana said of the FCF’s draw. “No more Monday-morning quarterback. You can’t complain anymore. You can get in there and call plays if you want. You get on the website, register, be part of that team.”

VIDEO: Joe Montana on Fan Controlled Football.

NFL washout Johnny Manziel is the FCF’s star attraction amid anonymous semi-pros. He was a 2014 first-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns; Garoppolo was selected 40 spots later (No. 62 overall) by the New England Patriots in the second round.

“He was playing fairly well,” Montana said of Garoppolo. “To get them to a Super Bowl, he had to play well.”

Takes one to know one.