Brock Purdy injury was only reason 49ers considered signing Tom Brady
Tom Brady’s name has surfaced as a possible option for the 49ers under center every time he’s been even remotely available. San Francisco tried trading for him in 2017, could have signed him in 2019, and then considered adding him again for the 2023 campaign.
Brock Purdy first relayed the story of the team’s Tom Brady pursuit in a piece by ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. Purdy essentially said head coach Kyle Shanahan told the young QB he was the team’s signal caller, unless Brady wanted to play there.
Shanahan clarified how this interaction went in Peter King’s most recent Football Morning in America column. He said Purdy’s injury was the only reason Brady was under consideration for the 49ers.
“I mean, if Brock never got hurt, this wouldn’t have been a consideration at all,” Shanahan told King. “I’d never have brought it up. But I’ve got to think about the team. What if he’s not ready in September?”
It’s easy to forget that Purdy’s availability was in serious question early in the offseason. His surgery to repair his torn UCL didn’t take place until mid-March, and his recovery timeline was a huge question mark. Initial estimates had him missing a full year. Others put it closer to nine months, putting Purdy on track for a late-season return.
The surgery and Purdy’s subsequent rehab wound up allowing him to return for the start of training camp and his status as the team’s starter was never really in question once it was clear he’d be ready to take live game reps by Week 1.
The revelation here isn’t that the 49ers considered Brady. Even at 45 in the 2022 season Brady was an excellent player, and adding the best QB to ever put on pads has to be a consideration for any team. The revelation is that Shanahan only would’ve considered him due to Purdy’s injury.
While public sentiment on Purdy is still polarizing, it’s clear Shanahan is all-in on Purdy as a franchise QB – so much so that not even Tom Brady could supplant him as long as he was healthy.
