Just Call Him Chief Montana : Pro football: Quarterback chooses Kansas City over Phoenix. A deal is expected to be announced this week.

Joe Montana, Kansas City Chief.

It doesn’t have the right ring, somehow, but get used to it.

Of the several teams that sought him, Montana, who will turn 37 in June, chose the Chiefs on Saturday.

As soon as Kansas City’s management strikes a deal with San Francisco’s, probably this week, the 49er career of an all-time All-Pro will be over.

The explanation: Montana, after 13 NFL years, wants to play again this season, but the 49ers don’t want him to start for them.

The San Francisco coaches are sticking with Montana’s former backup, Steve Young.

Kansas City’s coaches are putting their faith in Montana.

“He’s more than a legend, he’s still a great quarterback, with a lot of life yet, a lot of football,” said Lamar Hunt, owner of the Chiefs.

The Chiefs, however, headed into the last week before next Sunday’s draft fending off 49er demands for a compensating first-round choice for Montana’s rights.

“The standard has been set,” 49er President Carmen Policy said. “(The Phoenix Cardinals) offered us a first.”

The Chiefs offered a third, plus as many as three other players.

And for four reasons in particular, NFL people expect the 49ers to come to terms with the Chiefs soon:

--Because Kansas City is where Montana wants to play, not Phoenix, the 49ers owe it to him to let him go to the Chiefs after all he has done for San Francisco.

--The Cardinals’ first-round bid was a bit high for any 37-year-old quarterback.

--The 1991-92 Montana log shows that he has missed two full seasons except for one 30-minute appearance last winter, when he played well, if briefly, in a Monday night game against the Detroit Lions.

--His medical history includes recent elbow surgery after back surgery and other problems.

“Count on it, Montana will play for Kansas City this year if that’s what he wants,” a pro football source said, making a forecast that was disputed by no NFL person outside of Phoenix. “Montana won four Super Bowls for the 49ers.

“You can’t blame them for trying for a first, but it isn’t like (49er owner) Eddie DeBartolo to stand in his way.”

DeBartolo and Montana will meet Tuesday, according to Peter Johnson, Montana’s agent.

Montana was unavailable for comment, but Kansas City sources said he is enthusiastic about the move because the Chiefs had previously hired Paul Hackett as their new offensive coordinator.

Hackett, one of Montana’s former assistant coaches, announced not long ago that he plans to install Bill Walsh’s 49er system. That will be a major change for Kansas City, where Coach Marty Schottenheimer has always preferred run-oriented, play-action football.

The Chiefs, who have been strong defensively but weak offensively under Schottenheimer, even last season with new quarterback Dave Krieg, should improve with Walsh’s short-pass system and Montana operating it.

Nonetheless, some coaches said it isn’t a given that the talent Montana displayed so spectacularly in San Francisco is transferable to Kansas City or anywhere.

A third-round draft choice out of Notre Dame originally, Montana was created, in a sense, by Walsh, one of the game’s most successful coaches.

The fact is that in San Francisco, Montana and Walsh were a team. Even after Walsh departed in 1989, when Montana led the 49ers to a fourth Super Bowl without him, Montana played Walsh football all the way, with the same plays and players, and with the same coaching staff.

As for the 49ers last season, they were frequently more impressive than ever with Young at quarterback and with Mike Shanahan as offensive coordinator. Young added the long pass that Montana could seldom provide.

It was defensive breakdowns, many said, that stopped the 1992 49ers short of their fifth Super Bowl.

Even so, to hear 49er fans tell it, the problem wasn’t defense but Young’s quarterbacking. They are angry and heartbroken to see Montana go.