49ers wanted Tom Brady to start instead of Brock Purdy for 2023 season
The quarterback position has been the Achilles heel for the San Francisco 49ers since Colin Kaepernick had his flash-in-the-pan season in 2013.
A lot of names have come and gone since, preventing the franchise from securing its sixth Super Bowl. Then came the emergence of Brock Purdy, “Mr. Irrelevant” out of Iowa State, who immediately made his case to be the team’s long-term starter. But apparently, the front office doesn’t share this thought and even went as far as trying to again bring Tom Brady out of retirement.
“Early in the offseason, Niners coach Kyle Shanahan sat down with Purdy and assured him that if he was healthy he would be the starter unless Brady wanted to play one more season for his hometown Niners,” ESPN’s Nick Wogoner wrote in a Brock Purdy profile.
“An ecstatic Purdy understood the logic, but the competitor in him also bubbled under the surface … It’s that competitive spirit Shanahan and the Niners have quickly grown to love. Yes, they say Purdy is humble and down to earth, but he carries an edge on the field that manifests in many ways.”
This immediately begs the question of how much faith the 49ers actually have in Purdy?
Opinions on Purdy are about as split as can be: Some believe he is a below-average QB carried by the immense talent around him, while others believe he is the second coming of Christ capable of bringing a Lombardi Trophy back to the Bay.
He became wayyyy too overrated when he was atop the MVP ladder at one point. But thankfully, that narrative ended after a couple of bad games. Though it seems like it has created a new narrative that is causing the Niners to look elsewhere at quarterback at the start of the 2023 offseason.
If you’re Purdy, it has to be alarming that a 46-year-old Tom Brady coming out of retirement was their first option, especially after leading your team to the NFC Championship, only to be knocked out in the first quarter.
Clearly, the 49ers see something they don’t like and are willing to do whatever it takes to address it. It begs the question of if Purdy will be the starter next year if he doesn’t win the Super Bowl. He may be on a tight leash, and another year of coming up just short could be the nail in the coffin for Purdy.
If they do go that route, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins could be a name to look out for. He is due to be a free agent and could be the missing piece behind center for San Francisco. The only issue is they would have to pay Cousins a lot more than what Brock Purdy currently costs, meaning you will likely have to make some sacrifices at other positions.
But a good game this weekend will at least temporarily quiet the rumors and likely earn him another year.
If he comes out and plays like he did last week against Green Bay, he very well could find himself out of the starting job in San Francisco–which sounds kind of crazy, given how quickly the city fell in love with him.
I honestly thought the 49ers had more faith in Brock Purdy and were set on having him be the guy. Shanahan seemed to like him and what he brought to the offense, but I guess that just isn’t enough. So, can Purdy become the guy in San Francisco? Or will he just be another name in a long list of failed 49ers quarterbacks? I guess we find out on Sunday.
***
Subscribe to our YouTube!!
Check out our Merch!!
