Joe Montana says he would have deflated footballs

Joe Montana is considered by many to be the best quarterback of all-time. Montana, who played for the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs from 1979-94, won four Super Bowls before going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot.

Recently, Montana did an interview for a story in Trib Total Media and touched on the never-ending topic of DeFlategate and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Montana, who was Brady’s idol as a kid growing up in California, had some interesting thoughts on the subject.

"“I wish I’d known (it could make a difference) because I couldn’t throw a wet ball to save my life,” Montana told Trib Total Media. “Heck, I would’ve thought about (deflating the ball), sure.”"

Montana also says quarterbacks are not the only players trying to get an edge anyway they can.

"“Everybody is trying to do something different,” Montana said. “Our offensive linemen used to spray silicone on their shirts until they got caught. Once you get caught, you get caught. Period. It doesn’t take anything away from Tom’s game. But how long has he been doing it? I don’t know.”"

Teams have been using the silicone spray for years. Back in a 1997 AFC Divisional playoff game, the Denver Broncos offensive linemen were forced to towel off their uniforms after a slimy substance was detected. Denver went on to beat the Kansas City Chiefs that day, 14-10.

Montana says the rule is not something he views as ultra important, but Brady should still be punished for breaking it.

"“It is one of those things that is a rule, right?” Montana said. “It might be a dumb rule, but it doesn’t matter. He didn’t deflate them himself, but you can pick up the ball and can tell if it is underinflated, overinflated or what you like. Everybody is afraid to say it, but if the guy did it, so what. Just pay up and move on. It’s no big deal.”"

If Brady listened to Montana’s advice, this story would finally go away.