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.
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.
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.
