Tom Brady announced he is retiring from the NFL after 22 unforgettable years in the league, but many football fans don’t believe the QB God is walking away just yet.
The football world has speculated that the 44-year-old seven-time Super Bowl champ could still return for the 2022 season. But where will he go?
The rumors will fly and the predictions will unfold, and some will sound more realistic than others.
On a recent Pro Football Talk Live, Mike Florio shared one of those bold predictions on what Brady’s future has in store for him.
"I got a great email,” Florio said. "I don't know that the person wants his name to be shared, but it's explaining what's going on with Tom Brady. Classic mid-life crisis. Step 1, a divorce from the Patriots. Step 2, a short-term relationship with a trophy girl, the Buccaneers. Step 3, a late-night text to the high school sweetheart, a.k.a the 49ers.
"I'm telling you, it's unavoidable. He's not gonna lower himself to have to dirty himself the way Aaron Rodgers is. He's gonna work it all behind the scenes. I just ... I think he's gonna be with the 49ers Week 1. I'm rooting for that so badly."
San Francisco is likely moving on from Jimmy Garoppolo to Trey Lance for the 2022 season.
And the 49ers didn’t trade two first-round picks to move up in the 2021 NFL Draft to acquire Lance for nothing. But could they postpone Lance's promotion to QB1 for one more season to give Brady, a San Mateo native, a homecoming sendoff?
There might be too many hurdles to overcome for it to happen, but regardless, Brady in red and gold is fun to think about and the chatter probably won’t go away anytime soon.
After spending 20 years in New England with Bill Belichick and the Patriots, Brady took his talents down to Tampa Bay, where he led the Buccaneers to their second Super Bowl title in his first year with the organization.
And when their 2021 season came to an end after a heartbreaking 30-27 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Brady called it quits.
RELATED: Report: 49ers considered starting Lance until preseason injury
Or did he?
"I'm just going to take things as they come. I think that's the best way to put it, and I don't think anything, you know, you never say never," Brady told Jim Gray on their "Let's Go!" podcast. "At the same time, I know that ... I feel very good about my decision. I don't know how I'll feel six months from now."
This is going to be a fun offseason.