Tom Brady returning to his native California? We weren't far from it.
This could have been one of the intrigues of the 2023 offseason: Tom Brady in the jersey of his favorite team, the San Francisco 49ers.
The information never came out during the summer. Maybe because Brady never wanted to come out of retirement. But the 49ers hoped so. They tried. Brock Purdy himself told ESPN.
The current starting quarterback of the 49ers explains that, during the offseason, Kyle Shanhan came to explain frankly to him what awaited him for the months to come.
“I remember him telling me that if we had a chance to get Tom Brady, we were going to try to attract him. And I was like, “Yeah, he’s the GOAT.” I understand “. But, deep down, I was like, “Man, I showed I can play well in this system. We were at a Super Bowl game. “. But, I said to myself: “come on, let’s go”.
Recovering from his injury… and Tom Brady
For Purdy, despite a magical first season ended with an injury, two obstacles arose: recovering from his elbow injury, and hoping that Tom Brady did not want to have one last dance.
Brock Purdy ended up winning his race against time, and ultimately, the six-time Super Bowl winner didn't heed San Francisco's calls.
Tom Brady and the 49ers will remain an impossible story. The legendary former Patriots quarterback reportedly wanted to join the 49ers in 2020 after his time in New England. But, the 49ers already had a quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo. This time, it was the 49ers who wanted Brady, but the latter reportedly declined.
