Brock Purdy is set to make his first start in the Super Bowl during his second year in the NFL after being drafted with the last pick in the draft. Everybody knows that by now. It is a conversation that has been had countless time over the last 20 or so months.
However, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was fully prepared to bench Purdy in favor of a legend!
According to the 24-year-old quarterback, San Francisco tried to lure Tom Brady out of retirement during the offseason. His head coach told him that he would be relegated to the backup role.
I remember him saying, if we can get Tom Brady, we’re going to try to get him. 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.”
— Brock Purdy, via ESPN
General Manager John Lynch addressed the situation during an appearance on ‘The Eye Test For Two’ podcast last week. He confirmed it as true and made it clear that context is important.
[…] the context of that was Brock got hurt in the NFC Championship Game, as everyone knows, [against] Philly, and his elbow was not in a good spot. And I think, to look back now, unbelievably, almost a miraculous recovery. He beat the timeline and all that.
When it first happened, we’re searching, like, “What are we going to do at quarterback? We don’t know if we’re going to have Brock back.”
Trey [Lance] had been hurt as well. He kind of [sustained] a vicious ankle injury, and that didn’t look good. So we had to look at all our options.
And I think Kyle and Brock have honest conversations. At some point, he said, “Look, I guess the one way you’re not a starter if you’re healthy is if we go get someone like Brady.”
— John Lynch, via The Eye Test For Two
Brady has neither confirmed nor denied any conversations with San Francisco while offering high praise for Purdy.
Nobody thought that Purdy was lying. Nobody thought that he misinterpreted the conversation with Shanahan. But it was rather jarring to hear spelled out in such a way. Especially with Super Bowl LVIII on the horizon.
Up until Monday morning, Shanahan had not commented on his starting quarterback’s claims about the 49ers’ interest in Brady. He was offered the opportunity to break the silence during a Q+A with Peter King and was/is glad to do so!
Everything that Purdy said is entirely true. San Francisco was going to bench him for Brady if Brady was willing to run it back for one final season. The team was not confident that Purdy would be healthy.
Yes, I was serious about it. As we talked, I’m looking at Brock, and he’s got his arm in a sling, and I really am not sure I’ve got a quarterback who’s going to be ready for the start of the 2023 season. That started all of this.
— Kyle Shanahan, via PFT
Shanahan added that it was not a slight toward Purdy. Rather, the opposite!
I actually thought it was giving Brock the biggest compliment. I let him know he’s our guy long-term. No question. And if Tom Brady wanted to come here and start for one year, that’s the only way you’re not starting when you’re healthy this year. That’s pretty cool.
I wanted to assure him, “Don’t worry. You’re our guy. But how cool would it be if Tom Brady would be the quarterback here for one season? How cool would it be for you to learn from him?” … I mean, if Brock never got hurt, this wouldn’t have been a consideration at all. I’d never have brought it up. But I’ve got to think about the team. What if he’s not ready in September?
— Kyle Shanahan, via PFT
The “what if” ultimately did not matter. Tom Brady took the year off to prepare for his first NFL season as an on-air talent for Fox. Brock Purdy was ready to go come Week 1.
Now, 19 games later, Brock Purdy will lead the 49ers onto the field at Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. All is well that ends well!