PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE NFL : Montana’s Injury a Painful Mystery

The San Francisco 49ers denied that quarterback Joe Montana has a torn ligament in his passing elbow.

After the 49ers beat the Seattle Seahawks on Friday night in Seattle, NBC sportscaster Ahmad Rashad reported that Montana told him there is a partial ligament tear on the inside of Montana’s right elbow. There were published reports Saturday citing unidentified team sources as saying Montana’s elbow pain was caused by a torn tendon.

“He doesn’t have a ligament tear,” 49er public relations director Jerry Walker said.

Team doctors reached that conclusion after studying results of tests Montana underwent Thursday, he said, but have not determined whether there is a tendon tear.

If there is a tendon tear, it is probably a “micro-tear” not uncommon with tendinitis, Coach George Seifert said.

Montana was told earlier the elbow problem was strictly tendinitis, which he has experienced before.

Montana, who sat out the 49ers’ last three exhibitions, said that the inflamed elbow hurts even when he performs simple tasks, such as turning a doorknob, and that doctors said they didn’t know how soon he will be able to resume passing.

If Steve Young is the starter Sept. 2 against the New York Giants, it will be the first time in 11 years the 49ers have opened without Montana. He became San Francisco’s No. 1 quarterback during the 1980 season and has starred on four NFL championship teams since.