When 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick feels pressure, his natural inclination is to run. And it often works: Kaepernick set the all-time NFL record for rushing yards in a game by a quarterback during last year’s playoffs, and through two games in this year’s playoffs he has 113 rushing yards.
But Joe Montana, the quarterback who won four Super Bowls with the 49ers, says that if Kaepernick really wants to be great, he’s going to need to learn how to respond to pressure by staying in the pocket and delivering an accurate pass.
“I like his mobility and that he’s getting the ball downfield,” Montana told USA Today. “But sometimes, he needs to be more accurate in the pocket with pressure. The game is changing. Nobody wants to throw with pressure anymore. But the guys who can win in this league are the ones who can make throws from the pocket.”
Montana may have a point, but it’s also true that the 49ers were in the Super Bowl last year and are in the NFC Championship Game this year. They’ve won plenty with Kaepernick playing the way he plays.