SANTA CLARA – Nick Mullens’ back-to-back big-yardage games drew a reporter’s comparison to Joe Montana this week.
“That’s a far-fetched way to connect me to Joe Montana,” Mullens responded with a laugh.
Plenty of what Mullens said this week was not far-fetched at all to the Hall of Famer himself.
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“He knows he has to continue to do the things that he knows he can do and not try to become a player that he’s not,” Montana told NBC Sports Bay Area on Thursday when asked about Mullens. “He seems to stay within his realm. Occasionally, he tries a little too hard. But we all do it.
“I think it was Clint Eastwood who said, ‘A man’s got to know his limitations.’ That’s what you got to be in that position. You can’t try to be a big, strong, flat-footed-throwing guy if you’re not. You can’t try to be a runner if you’re not. You can run if you have to, but that’s not where he fits in.”
[RELATED: Jeff Garcia: Nick Mullens continues to do what's asked of him]
Mullens said something nearly identical a day earlier without quoting Dirty Harry from the movie “Magnum Force” when he was asked why he was not surprised when he went undrafted.
San Francisco 49ers
“I understand my limitations,” Mullens said. “I understand what strengths I have and the strengths that I don’t have, and I understand how the process worked. I never expected to get drafted, to be honest, and if I did, it would’ve been really cool. But, I’m just glad I got my opportunity, and it was good enough."
The 49ers signed Mullens as an undrafted rookie in 2017 after his record-setting career at Southern Mississippi. In five starts this season since replacing C.J. Beathard, Mullens has completed 63.8 percent of his pass attempts for 1,479 yards with nine touchdowns and six interceptions. His passer rating is a team-best 93.5.
Montana said Mullens is making good decisions and performing well despite lacking a supporting cast with “a bunch of offensive weapons.”
Said Montana, “As a quarterback you have to have a good memory and a bad memory. You got to forget things quickly and put things behind you because you’re going to make mistakes. There’s nothing you can do about it. But you should never give up on yourself, and that’s where he is.”