Two weeks ago today, an article on ESPN.com included an on-the-record claim from 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy that coach Kyle Shanahan told him in the offseason that the 49ers wanted to sign Tom Brady to be the starter in 2023. Since then, nobody had been asked about Purdy’s comments, despite multiple press conferences from Purdy and Shanahan.
Finally, someone was asked about it. That person was Brady.
During a Tuesday media tour regarding the merger of TB12 with Nobull, Brady was asked by Pat McAfee about the story from Purdy about the 49ers wanting Brady.
Brady didn’t specifically confirm that the 49ers wanted to sign him.
“In this last season, there’s a lot of different things that people would suggest, but I kind of just kept my mind focused on where I wanted to go,” Brady said, via 49ersWebZone.com. “Again, this was a great year for me to sit back and watch and learn and get prepared for being in the Fox booth next year.”
As Chris Simms has said on PFT Live, Brady kept plenty of doors open last year at this time regarding a potential return to the NFL in 2023. Ultimately, he decided not to play.
Three years earlier, the 49ers were Brady’s first choice, when he became a free agent after 20 years with the Patriots. At that time, the 49ers said, “No thanks.”