The San Francisco 49ers entered Sunday with a legitimate shot to make the Super Bowl behind a rookie drafted with the last pick.
A day later, the NFL world resumed speculation about them signing Tom Brady.
Brock Purdy suffered a complete right elbow tear during the NFC Championship Game, putting his availability for the start of the 2023 season in question. That opened the door for more gossip about the 49ers pursuing Brady.
One NFL executive from another team gave a detailed blueprint to The Athletic’s Mike Sando about how San Francisco could handle the quarterback situation.
“I think they will trade Trey Lance to Tennessee and then they will end up with Brady, and Brady will play one year for his home team, and they will have Brock Purdy as the backup,” an executive predicted Sunday. “That is the chatter. They have the defense already. Brady wants to win one more, and this is right up the 49ers’ alley.”
It’s an interesting plan for all parties.
The Titans hired former 49ers director of player personnel Ron Carthon as their general manager earlier this month. Lance caused speculation by posting a photo of Carthon on Instagram with emojis of crossed fingers.
Ryan Tannehill doesn’t seem like Tenneseee’s probable starter in 2023, and Malik Willis posted a 42.8 quarterback rating in limited opportunities as a rookie.
After suffering the first losing season of his career as a starting quarterback, Brady would join a ready-made title contender alongside Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Trent Williams, and an elite defense. The California native could end his career playing for the team he grew up supporting.
While Purdy may have earned the starting job during a stellar rookie season, the injury could at least derail his offseason. He could spend the 2023 season fully recovering while learning from an all-time great before reclaiming the starting role in 2024.
This plan hinges on Brady wanting to play at age 46 and the 49ers wanting a 46-year-old quarterback coming off a down year for his elevated standards. But the pairing feels much more feasible than it did a few days ago.