49ers’ Montana May Not Need Surgery on Elbow

SANTA CLARA —  San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana, who will miss Sunday’s Pro Bowl in Honolulu because of a sore elbow, may not need surgery as feared.

“They’re just going to let it rest at this time,” a 49ers spokesman said today. “Then they’ll see if it’s still bothering him in a few months.”

Montana’s right elbow was examined Tuesday by the 49ers’ medical staff.

Doctors had been considering minor surgery next month on his throwing elbow, which was sore during Super Bowl week but did not prevent him from winning an unprecedented third Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award in the 49ers’ 55-10 victory over the Denver Broncos.

Montana bruised the elbow in the 49ers’ third game of the season when Philadelphia sacked him eight times.

He reinjured it two weeks later in New Orleans and was unable to play the following game against Dallas.

Montana, whose elbow has been frequently bruised or swollen throughout his 11-year NFL career, has said he has learned to tolerate the pain.

Montana completed 22 of 29 passes for 297 yards and five touchdowns in leading the 49ers to their fourth Super Bowl title in nine years last Sunday.

In 1987, Montana was bothered by a sore elbow but played in the Pro Bowl anyway and aggravated the injury. He was forced to have elbow surgery the following February.

Montana has had four other off-season surgeries on his left knee, right shoulder and back.