Joe Montana Comments on 49ers' Strategy on Offense, Usage of Colin Kaepernick

San Francisco 49ers legend Joe Montana believes his former team could benefit from utilizing what catapulted quarterback Colin Kaepernick to his early success: his legs.

Speaking on NFL Network’s NFL HQ (via Taylor Price of 49ers.com), Montana indicated the 49ers should allow Kaepernick to return to his running ways.

"I would tell him to get to the coaches and say, ‘Look, I’m here because this is what I did in college, and my first year I was here you let me do it. Now because I’m making a lot more money, you’re trying to keep me in the pocket, you’re trying to make me do things.’"

Kaepernick is averaging 43.6 rushing yards per game and is the team’s second-leading rusher behind running back Carlos Hyde. But the quarterback is coming off a Week 5 loss to the New York Giants in which he scrambled for just 23 yards on three attempts—both season lows. However, mostly from the pocket, he was 23-of-35 for 262 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

First-year head coach Jim Tomsula indicated earlier in the year that the 49ers are “not a dropback team" with Kaepernick under center, per Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. "We’re not built that way,” he said.

Those comments came after Kaepernick threw four interceptions, including two that were returned for touchdowns, in a 47-7 loss against the Arizona Cardinals in September.

Despite the team's 1-4 start, Montana believes Kaepernick is capable of returning the 49ers to their winning ways.

“Let him do the things that he does well," he said. "He’ll take that team back and get it winning again, but you can’t force him to do something and make him start thinking and then everybody questions every throw he makes.”

San Francisco hosts the Baltimore Ravens in a rematch of Super Bowl XLVII in Week 6.