Getty Images

The shoulder that threw so many great passes for the San Francisco 49ers has been replaced, and it wasn’t easy.

Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana had replacement surgery on his throwing shoulder two weeks ago, and he then had an infection that required a follow-up surgery to treat it, and then a re-do of the replacement. He told the San Jose Mercury News that the toughest thing for him now is a bulky brace on his shoulder at all times.

“I could live with a lot of it, but then I got to where I couldn’t lift my arm past my shoulder, so I decided to do something about it,” Montana said. “I’d be OK if I didn’t have this stupid thing. You have to wear it 24/7. Shaking hands is not the problem. You have to sleep with this on.”

Montana says he has plenty of “wear and tear” on his body, not uncommon for a 63-year-old who played 16 NFL seasons.