The stars are aligning here.
The San Francisco 49ers are in quite a quarterback pickle: Brock Purdy went from Mr. Irrelevant to nearly getting the Niners to a Super Bowl, but now he’s got a torn UCL in his elbow that may keep him out a while.
Jimmy Garoppolo is a free agent.
Trey Lance? He missed most of last season due to multiple surgeries. Will he be ready in 2023?
The Niners’ contention window might not be more open than it is now. Which is why it’s crucial the franchise finds a quarterback before it all comes crashing down.
And that perfect quarterback is … Tom Brady.
Here’s why it makes all the sense in the world:
1
He's a Bay Area native who rooted for the Niners
He grew up in San Mateo and has talked about his love of the 49ers. From NBC Sports Bay Area:
“We’d sit up there in the nosebleeds. We had four tickets — my mom and dad would go, I would usually go, and then one of my sisters would go,” Brady said Thursday of Candlestick, where he fell in love with football. “I was lucky to grow up in the Bay Area at that time. It was just a great time. There were so many great players, it was a great era of football and I loved the 49ers.”
How storybook could this be? If Brady wants to play again in 2023, the idea of coming back home for one last ride is perfect.
2
He'd immediately contend for a Super Bowl ring
Of the possible options, this is the one that has the best chance of one more championship. You plug Brady into that offense with the receivers and you hope the defense repeats what it did this year, and BOOM.
3
I'd bet he wouldn't want to go out of the NFL on THAT note in 2022
Last season was really awful for Brady on and off the field, so much so that he lost 15 pounds.
If he wants to give it one more go and try to end his storied career on a much higher note, coming home to the Bay Area works great.
4
The Niners need a QB badly as their window starts to close
See above.
49ers QBs:
🏈Brock Purdy has a torn ulnar collateral ligament that will sideline him six months.
🏈Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a broken foot in December and is now a free agent.
🏈Trey Lance fractured his fibula and had ligament damage that required two surgeries on his ankle.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 30, 2023
5
Kyle Shanahan and the offense is perfect for where he's at
Shanahan seemingly can make a star out of anyone at quarterback. And in this offense, Brady wouldn’t have to throw too far downfield. He’d just have to put the ball in the hands of Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey and let them work.
If the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft could be a stud, imagine what the GOAT would do even though his prime is far behind him.
6
The path to a Super Bowl is easier in the NFC
He knows this. The Bills, Bengals and Chiefs will contend once again next year, while the NFC is much weaker.
