Perhaps the rumors and suggestions of the 49ers signing Tom Brady will finally go away with the announcement that he’s retiring for good this time.
The San Francisco 49ers aren’t going to sign quarterback Tom Brady this offseason.
They won’t even if they wanted to because he’s officially announcing his retirement… again. And while Brady engineered something similar a year ago, which prompted some to think he was merely trying to convince the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to trade him to his boyhood Niners team, it appears as if this retirement is legit.
Brady announced such on social media Wednesday morning:
Truly grateful on this day. Thank you 🙏🏻❤️ pic.twitter.com/j2s2sezvSS
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) February 1, 2023
As was the case a year ago (and the year before), the thought of Brady heading out to the West Coast and suiting up for the red and gold wouldn’t go away.
Even after San Francisco invested heavily in quarterback Trey Lance, re-signed Jimmy Garoppolo and, most recently, watched rookie Brock Purdy enjoy one of the most productive stretches in recent franchise history.
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While the rumors may not totally die immediately that Brady still wants to play for the 49ers, the likelihood of it happening just took a major hit.
And that’ll certainly be a relief to some who were growing tired of it.
Who will 49ers start at quarterback without Tom Brady in the picture?
Garoppolo is a free agent this offseason, and it doesn’t seem likely he’ll return to the Niners after enduring two years of awkwardness with Lance (and now Purdy) looking over his shoulder.
That’ll leave both Lance and Purdy in the mix, but both are coming off serious injuries: Lance’s broken ankle suffered in Week 2, and Purdy’s injured elbow suffered in the NFC Championship loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Perhaps those setbacks helped fuel the idea Brady would want one final go at another Super Bowl, and San Francisco would have shelved either Lance or Purdy for another year.
That won’t be the case, however, meaning the 49ers will either go with their younger quarterbacks or explore other contingency options with Brady off the table.