Tom Brady has stuck to his guns. Last February, the renowned quarterback made it clear that his second retirement would be permanent. After Brady backtracked on retirement No. 1 in 2022, this season marked the NFL’s first without him since 1999.
However, the future Hall of Famer’s local team remained interested in a partnership during the 2023 summer. The 49ers, who were linked to Brady in several offseasons during his final years in the NFL, made one final try to sign the seven-time Super Bowl champion. Kyle Shanahan alerted Brock Purdy of a Brady chase early in the ’23 offseason, which included San Francisco’s current starter recovering a UCL rupture.
According to John Lynch, last year Brady answered with a thumbs-up emoji after the 49ers’ general manager texted him to congratulate him on his career. It appears that the 49ers made a more significant effort to persuade Brady to return than previously thought.
At the time, the 49ers had Purdy recovering from UCL surgery and Trey Lance returning from two ankle procedures. The team subsequently signed Sam Darnold to a one-year, $4.5 million deal, which led to Lance’s departure via trade. All the while, the only Brady rumours circulated concerned his status as a Raiders minority owner. That approval procedure is still pending, as the 46-year-old retiree prepares to take over as FOX’s lead analyst for the 2024 season.
During his first few months on the job, Lynch approached Bill Belichick about Brady’s trade availability. This occurred in 2017, while the Patriots still had Jimmy Garoppolo on their roster. That request resulted in a very swift shutdown, and Robert Kraft eventually interfered to keep Brady at quarterback by moving Garoppolo to the 49ers for a second-round choice. Brady’s free agency came shortly after Garoppolo led the 49ers to Super Bowl LIV, and the Buccaneers and Chargers remained the only clubs in the competition until the finish.
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