Kyle Shanahan wasn’t kidding when he told Brock Purdy that the team was considering signing Tom Brady in the 2023 offseason.
In fact, the 49ers head coach was “serious” about a possible pursuit for the seven-time Super Bowl winner due to Purdy’s elbow injury, per NBC Sports.
“As we talked, I’m looking at Brock, and he’s got his arm in a sling and I really am not sure [that] I’ve got a quarterback who’s going to be ready for the start of the 2023 season,” Shanahan said. “That started all of this.”
Purdy suffered a UCL tear in his throwing elbow in the first quarter of San Francisco’s NFC Championship Game loss to Philadelphia in January 2023, requiring him to undergo major offseason surgery. The surgery also sidelined Purdy from throwing for several months during the offseason.
Even though Purdy returned to practice by the start of training camp, there were major questions surrounding the Niners’ quarterback situation when their 2022 season ended. Veteran Jimmy Garoppolo missed most of the final month of the regular season and playoffs that year due to a foot injury as he was also entering free agency. Trey Lance, who began the 2022 season as the team’s starter, suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2 that required him to undergo a second surgery in December 2022.
Brock Purdy or Patrick Mahomes: Who’s under more pressure to win a Super Bowl?
Shanahan said that he wanted to assure Purdy that Brady — who announced his retirement from football for a second time in February 2023 — would only start for one season while he healed from the elbow injury.
“I actually thought it was giving Brock the biggest compliment,” Shanahan said. “I let him know he’s our guy long-term. No question. And if Tom Brady wanted to come here and start for one year, that’s the only way you’re not starting when you’re healthy this year. That’s pretty cool. I wanted to assure him, ‘Don’t worry. You’re our guy. But how cool would it be if Tom Brady would be the quarterback…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/kyle-shanahan-confirms-49ers-reached-out-to-tom-brady-in-2023-offseason
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Publish date : 2024-02-05 19:26:51
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