Joe may stay.
That became the clear message Friday afternoon in a meeting between quarterback Joe Montana's agent, Peter Johnson, and 49ers president Carmen Policy."We met for the purpose of figuring out what the 49ers want to do and what Joe wants to do next season and in the future," Johnson told The San Francisco Examiner Saturday. "Both parties agreed that it was their intention to try and work out a new arrangement whereby Joe could finish his career with the 49ers."
Montana, who played in only half of one game the last two seasons, probably would have to agree to go into training camp as the No. 2 quarterback behind Steve Young. Last summer, Montana said if he were healthy he would rather go to another team than sit on the bench behind Young.
Since then the injured elbow that kept Montana out of action has healed to the point that he played in the final regular-season game and was ready to go in the playoffs.
Johnson said Montana's willingness to reconsider his earlier stand is the crux of current talks.
"I think Joe has progressed to a point beyond some statements he made last season," Johnson said. "He wants to make a realistic evaluation of the situation and do what is best for him, do something he can live with.
"I think Joe understands that he can't just return as the starter ... Of course it's not easy for Joe to consider himself a backup, and that obviously is the focus of his consideration at this point."
Montana was not available for comment and Johnson said the quarterback would have no statements until the issue is resolved.
"Joe, Carmen Policy and I are going to have some discussions over the next few weeks, and hopefully we can settle this in a way that makes everybody happy," said Johnson. "There is no date set for another meeting, but I believe we will be basically talking on the phone periodically."
Policy said the meetings were positive and that he is optimistic Montana will return to and eventually retire as a 49er.
"We had very constructive conversations with Peter Johnson in which we basically said, `Look, let's forget everything that was said earlier and find a way that Joe can stay,"' Policy said. "It's too soon to make any kind of final decision, but we are on the same page with the same goal, to keep Joe as a 49er."
Young's contract expires March 1, but he is expected to be protected from free agency as the team's franchise player. Montana's four-year contract has one season to go, but the unusual deal calls for the 1993 salary to be negotiated. If Montana cannot accept a backup role, the 49ers probably will release him from his contract.
Coach George Seifert said last week that Young is the 49ers' starting quarterback and, "At this particular time I don't foresee any changes."
Sources close to Montana indicate he probably could live with the a backup role going into training camp under certain conditions. Basically, he wants to be treated the same as Young was as a backup.
While Montana was the starting quarterback, Young took almost 50 percent of the snaps in practice. But when Montana was No. 2 this season, he took fewer than 30 percent of the snaps.
Seifert has not commented on that issue, but a common explanation by members of the team is that Montana knows the offense so well he doesn't need a lot of snaps in practice. Also, if Montana took half the practice snaps at the end of the regular season or during the playoffs, it might have given the impression the two quarterbacks were competing for the job.
Policy said the 49ers would be willing to pay the price to keep their top three quarterbacks, including No. 3 Steve Bono, who is scheduled to become a free agent.
"Quarterbacks are an important part of the 49ers' success and we have learned that you sometimes need as many as you can get," said Policy, no doubt recalling that the team started Young and Bono in 1991 after Montana had elbow surgery. "We're fortunate to have some great ones, and we'll probably be willing to pay the price to keep them."