The phrase hindsight is 20/20? It sure seems like it was for Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers, who had a chance to make Tom Brady their quarterback in the year 2020. It's been rumored that Brady, then a free agent, had interest in playing for the Niners.

Ahead of the 49ers' matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Shanahan was asked if he was surprised by Brady's level of play since the 2019 season, when he was believed to be in decline. The 49ers head coach's answer seemed to indicate he might be feeling regrets over passing on Brady. Here's what Shanahan had to say, per Pro Football Talk.

“I’d like to say of course not, but I think everyone’s since then, you’re wondering when is the number too high?” Shanahan told reporters. “But now like when you watch him that first week in Tampa, you’re like, what the hell was anyone ever thinking? The dude looks the exact same, he did that year [in 2020]. He does when he comes off injuries and I think he’s playing as good now and throwing the ball as well now as I’ve seen anybody ever do it.”

Kyle Shanahan said that people are now wondering when Brady's age will become too high for him to sustain this level of play.

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Then, the 49ers coach said something interesting. He said that when you “watch him that first week in Tampa, you're like what the he** was everyone ever thinking?”

Basically, what was everyone thinking passing on this guy. Could Kyle Shanahan himself be thinking that?

No one would blame him, given the injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo. The 49ers would undoubtedly be in a better spot if they had Brady under center.