Tom Brady announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday morning. Although this announcement comes exactly one year after he previously announced his retirement, which lasted for a whopping 40 days, the Buccaneers quarterback insists it's for good this time., which ended the San Francisco 49ers rumors. If this really is the end for the GOAT, then he will leave a legacy that is impossible to fill.
Brady's retirement doesn't just affect Tampa Bay, but other teams around the league as well. The 45-year-old would have hit free agency again this offseason, and many teams reportedly had interest in signing him. While his choices were reportedly either staying with the Buccaneers or retiring, that didn't stop rumors about him going to several other teams.
One of the teams that may have had an interest in signing Brady is the 49ers. The idea seemed absurd before Sunday's NFC Championship Game, as the 49ers had three viable quarterbacks in Brock Purdy, Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo. However, with Purdy suffering an injury on Sunday that might keep him out all of next season, Lance still recovering from a brutal ankle injury early in the season and Garoppolo almost certainly gone, those rumors picked up some steam.
#49ers QB Brock Purdy needs Tommy John surgery and is expected to miss about a year, according to notable orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Adickens.
A return in 6-9 months is unlikely.
Adickens is a former NFL player himself, was the 5th overall pick in the 1984 supplemental draft. pic.twitter.com/tv7UlSpcag
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 1, 2023
Regardless of whether or not San Francisco was truly interested in Brady, he's off the table now. Purdy and Lance's respective injuries also make the 49ers QB situation much murkier than it appears at first glance. With this dilemma, the team has a few options moving forward, and here are some of the best ones.
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3. Derek Carr
If the 49ers want a short-term bridge quarterback while Purdy and Lance recover and develop, then Carr would make sense. He is a similar quarterback to Garoppolo, which may cause 49ers fans to feel underwhelmed. However, considering how much Garoppolo won when he was healthy, the fact that Carr is so alike isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Carr is coming off an underwhelming season where he completed 60.2% of his passes for 3,522 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. Despite the Las Vegas Raiders reuniting him with his college teammate Davante Adams, Carr only mustered a 6-9 record as a starter this season. The Raiders benching him late in the season all but confirmed he would be leaving in the offseason.
Carr played his college ball at Fresno State and the first five years of his NFL career in Oakland, so a return to the Bay Area might make some sense from his perspective. He isn't a superstar by any means, but the 49ers' roster and Kyle Shanahan's system mean he doesn't need to be one. Not the sexiest option, but if San Francisco is in a bind, Carr would be more than serviceable.
2. Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers and the 49ers have been linked to each other from the moment he was drafted. San Francisco passed on the hometown QB with the first pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, instead choosing Alex Smith. Recently, San Francisco has always been a popular fan destination as questions about his future in Green Bay continuously swirl. With his Packers exit seemingly gaining steam and the 49ers uncertainty at QB, could Rodgers to San Francisco finally happen?
The Green Bay superstar is coming off a subpar season by his standards, completing 64.6 of his passes for 3,695 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Those aren't bad numbers, but certainly a drop off from his back-to-back MVP seasons in 2020 and 2021. To be fair, though, he was playing through injury and had to deal with the loss of Davante Adams.
To make this happen, the 49ers may have to pull off some salary cap gymnastics. They currently have roughly $5.3 million in cap space, and Rodgers cap hit in 2023 is over $31 million, and will get substantially larger in following seasons. They'd also have to give up a sizable haul to bring in Rodgers in the first place. Though, if they want their first superstar QB since Steve Young, Rodgers is their best choice.
1. Trey Lance
Realistically, the 49ers best option at quarterback is to roll with their former third-overall pick. Lance is reportedly recovering well from his injury back in September, and should be ready to return soon. Not to mention, he's inexpensive, he's still young, and the 49ers don't have to give up assets for him.
Lance has started only four games in his NFL career, so his ability is still a mystery. He looked decent in 2021, throwing for 507 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. His only starts in 2022 were against the Bears in a monsoon and when he suffered his injury against the Seahawks. He also barely played in college, so he truly is a wild card.
San Francisco invested so much into trading up for him, so he deserves a fair shot. Even if he isn't great, the 49ers have enough talent on the roster to help make up for his deficiencies. Give him a chance, and if he works out, great, and if he doesn't re-evaluate next season.
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