Kyle Shanahan almost made a major error this offseason.
According to ESPN, he attempted to persuade Tom Brady, 46, to come out of retirement and replace Brock Purdy as starting quarterback.
Good thing Brady said no.
Early in the spring, Niners coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with Purdy and promised him that if he was healthy, he would be the starter unless Brady decided to play one more season with his hometown Niners. Purdy, elated, grasped the reasoning, but the competition in him simmered beneath the surface. “That meant so much to me,” Purdy added. “I remember him saying, ‘We’re going to attempt to acquire Tom Brady. And I was like, ‘Yeah, he’s the best. I got it. But something deep inside me was like, ‘Dude, I just proved to you that I can play well in this system. “And we were one game away from the Super Bowl.” More than anything, I said, ‘OK, now let’s go.'”
Poor Shanahan. He means well, but he has no idea what he is looking for in a quarterback.
He didn’t want Brady in 2020 because he believed Brady was washed up and Jimmy Garoppolo was on the rise. In both circumstances, the answer is incorrect. Shanahan wanted Brady when he was truly washed up.
Shanahan also traded three first-round picks for Trey Lance before abandoning him after four starts. Thank god, the front office selected Brock Purdy with the final pick in the 2022 draft. Otherwise, the 49ers’ starting quarterback might be Sam Darnold or Jimmy Garoppolo.
Bless Shanahan’s tiny heart.
