At this point, veteran New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has been linked to nearly all 32 NFL teams. This likely will not end until the free agency period does, and one former NFL superstar thinks he knows what would be best for Brady.
Hall of Fame cornerback and return specialist Deion Sanders was serving as a commentator on the NFL Network during coverage of the NFL Scouting Combine Sunday. As various players ran drills, Sanders opined that the best place for Brady may be in San Francisco with a 49ers team fresh from losing Super Bowl LIV.
Sanders on Brady to Patriots: ‘Sign and Trade’
Sanders, who played 14 seasons in the league, has been an NFL analyst since his retirement in 2004. While not known for his hot takes, Sanders decided to give his two cents about where Brady should play in 2020.
Citing his “Sanders Claus” persona, a gimmick he used to incorporate when he would give gifts to kids wearing the jerseys of NFL players (often in sarcastic fashion), Sanders told Rich Eisen as the two watched combine athletes work out that Brady heading to the Bay “makes sense for everybody.” Sanders also noted the Niners should trade their current QB back to New England.
Apparently, Sanders thinks the 49ers trading Garoppolo back to the Patriots would be advantageous to both teams. “New England wants somebody with longevity,” Sanders said about trading Garoppolo back to the Pats. Brady is a free agent and can sign anywhere, but Garoppolo is under contract and would need to be traded.
“Sign and trade,” Sanders said. “That’s all I’m saying. It makes sense to me. Everybody is happy at the end of the day. At the end of the rainbow, everybody’s happy,” Sanders hypothesized.
The 49ers traded a second-round pick to New England in 2017 for Garoppolo, who led them to the Super Bowl this season, his first one with the team after suffering an ACL tear in 2018.
Brady v Garoppolo: 49ers Don’t Want to Get Older at QB…
While Sanders had to have known there wasn’t much heft to the Brady-to-the-Niners talk, his suggestion that getting older at quarterback would somehow be a win for the 49ers seems odd.
Many consider Brady to have already achieved GOAT status, but he will be 43 years old this fall during the 2020 season. He had a down year statistically in 2019, and in many ways, he didn’t look like the same player.
Meanwhile, in San Francisco, Garoppolo threw for 3,978 yards in a run-heavy offense while tossing 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in his first full season. Garoppolo turned 28 in November, and if social media is any indication, he seems to have the 49ers Faithful behind him.
John Lynch:
Kyle Shanahan:
Jed York:
49ers Fans:
Tom Brady:
People Who Actually Understand Football:
NFL Media:
THE 49ERS SHOULD TRADE GAROPPOLO AND SIGN BRADY FOR ONE YEAR JUST FOR FUNSIES
@DeionSanders @NFL @nflnetwork May the “49ers should sign Brady and trade Garoppolo” nonsense just die. You dont mortgage the future on a soon to be 43 year old that played terrible vs the Titans pass defense.
Jimmy Garoppolo is the starting QB of the SF 49ers. Not Tom Brady. Not Nick Mullens. Not anyone else. Remember that. QB 1 | #49ers #TheFranchise
“What does San Fran want?” Sanders asked before answering his own question. “To win now.” He went on to suggest that signing Tom Brady would give Kyle Shanahan and company a guaranteed winner.
Sanders isn’t the only former player to float the idea that Tom Brady should sign with the Niners: newly retired Chicago Bear Kyle Long recently threw the same idea out there.
Despite the rumors swirling around and the multiple recommendations from former players, Niners coach Kyle Shanahan has already committed to Garoppolo as his starting quarterback in 2020.
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NFL Hall of Famer: In Order to Win, Patriots and 49ers Need to Swap QBs