PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE NFL : Montana Return Is Up to 49ers

When or if Joe Montana returns to the San Franciso 49ers’ active roster, it will be on the team’s terms, not his.

Coach George Seifert made that clear Friday after the quarterback, who is trying to return from a serious elbow injury, told reporters he was on a demanding regimen that has him throwing 80 passes per day.

“I’ve said all along that I think there will be a time when Joe comes back and throws this year,” Seifert said. “So it’s not like, “My God, he’s coming back.’ But at the same time, I can’t talk about it or give it a lot of thought right now because he’s not ready to go on the football field, and these guys are.”

Seifert gave quarterback Steve Young a vote of confidence when asked if he thought Montana would play this season.

“It’s conceivable that could happen, but I think we all know who the quarterback is right now,” Seifert said. “There’s going to be a period where we want Joe to throw for myself, our trainers and our doctors, and we haven’t gotten to that period yet.”