Montana Joins Ranks of Richest NFL Players

Joe Montana quickly negotiated one of the richest contracts in NFL history with San Francisco 49er owner Edward J. DeBartolo on Thursday, agreeing to a four-year deal reportedly worth $13 million.

Montana, 34 and entering his 12th season, said he hoped the contract wouldn’t be his last with the 49ers.

“I hope I make it four more to make another one,” he said. “I’d like to. I’m hoping that we have to do it again.”

Montana, who led the 49ers to their fourth Super Bowl victory and second in a row last season, worked out the deal without an agent during a half-hour conversation with DeBartolo after morning practice.

“We’ve worked out our deals personally in the past,” DeBartolo said. “It just didn’t take long. We did it over tuna fish salad.”

Carmen Policy, the 49ers’ executive vice president, said he would prepare the contract today for formal signatures.

Montana was in the last year of a three-year extension signed in 1988 that was to pay him $2.5 million this year.

The new deal, according to a source close to the negotiations, reportedly would pay Montana $4 million this season, $3.5 million in 1991, $3.0 million in 1992 and $2.5 million in 1993.

The $3.25-million average per year would put Montana ahead of the NFL’s current salary leaders--Buffalo quarterback Jim Kelly, who receives an average of $3.14 million, and Philadelphia quarterback Randall Cunningham, who gets $3.1 million.

Montana had one of his finest seasons last year, completing 70% of his passes for 3,521 yards and 26 touchdowns during the regular season. He completed 78% of his passes in the playoffs for 800 yards and 11 touchdowns.