Montana knocks ex-49ers QB’s skills

Some NFL observers assume Colin Kaepernick’s inability to latch on with a team is solely based on his protests during the national anthem last season, but Joe Montana begs to differ. The three-time Super Bowl MVP says Kaepernick’s passing skills are as much a problem as the “distractions” he caused in the locker room.

In fact, Montana likened Kaepernick’s ability to throw the football to that of Tim Tebow, whose notoriously slow and inaccurate passes were the main reason his NFL career was so brief. The greatest quarterback in the history of the 49ers, if not the entire league, Montana made it clear he would be just as happy to never see Kaepernick in a San Francisco uniform again.

“Everyone thinks it is the stance he took; one of the things you don’t look for is distractions in the locker room,” Montana recently said to the Sporting News. “You can go back to Bill Walsh and as soon as there were guys that weren’t fitting in what he was looking for, it didn’t matter how good you were. You weren’t on the team for very long.

“You have to have people who want the same thing, fighting for the same thing and willing to put in the time.”

The “willing to put in the time” remark echoes skepticism from other 49ers-related figures about Kaepernick’s dedication to the sport. In May, MMQB’s Peter King wrote, “I spent a long draft weekend with the Niners in California, and there are those in the building who think Kaepernick might actually rather do social justice work full-time than play quarterback.”

Quote marks

Comedy writer Alex Kaseberg, on the video of Marshawn Lynch playing in a charity soccer game: “Now, I do not want to say Marshawn is fat, but it looks like Beast Mode has been replaced with A La Mode.”

Jim Barach of WCHS-TV in Charleston, W.Va., on Seahawk Russell Wilson’s “Elite QB” training academy: “The worst grade possible is an incomplete.”

Prescott a good start

Dak Prescott is one of the NFL’s most coveted building blocks. The fifth most, if you’re going by Pro Football Focus. The website did a foundation draft, which essentially asks whom you’d want to start a franchise. Prescott was No. 5, behind fellow QBs Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson and Derek Carr.

Christie picks Giants

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a noted Cowboys fan, picked the Giants to win the NFC East.

Appearing on WFAN last week, Christie said he sees the Cowboys winning 11 games, which he said “probably” isn’t enough to claim a second consecutive East title. Christie predicted the Giants to win 12.

Obviously, there’s political motivation to select the Giants, who are based in New Jersey, or even the Eagles, who hold a large contingent of fans in the southern end of the state.

Christie said he didn’t want to be seen as a politician who switches allegiances, so he always stuck with his Cowboys fandom. Christie has watched games from Jerry Jones’ suite in the past.