San Francisco wanted Tom Brady over Brock Purdy this season

The San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback room could have looked a lot different this season.

Buried in an ESPN report from last week on Brock Purdy was a nugget the second-year signal-caller shared about his possible replacement.

“I remember him [head coach Kyle Shanahan] saying, if we can get Tom Brady, we’re going to try to get him,” Purdy said. “And I was like, ‘Yeah, he’s the GOAT. I get it.’ But something deep down inside me was sort of like, ‘Dude, I just showed you that I can play well in this system. And we were one game away from the Super Bowl.’ ... More than anything, I was like, ‘OK, now let’s go.’”

Mr. Irrevelant seemed like a lock as the 49ers’ QB1 heading into this season — unless San Francisco could convince Brady to unretire again.

Brady had previously been linked to the 49ers, having grown up in San Mateo — just a bit south of San Fran — as a fan of the team. According to ProFootballTalk, the team passed on Brady in 2020. With speculation that the seven-time Super Bowl-winning QB would unretire, San Francisco became a potential landing spot.

In 2022, San Francisco had Jimmy Garoppolo, Purdy, and Trey Lance on the depth chart. Lance was traded to Dallas, and the 49ers went with Purdy, Sam Darnold, and Brandon Allen as their signal-caller options.

Brady stayed retired, the Niners stuck with Purdy, and they’ll play for the NFC Championship on Sunday against the Detroit Lions.