Brock Purdy Reveals How Tom Brady Almost Became 49ers’ 2023 Starter

Getty The San Francisco 49ers were interested in former Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady.

The San Francisco 49ers‘ 2023 has been a massive success so far, and a big reason is that they stuck with Brock Purdy over Tom Brady. San Francisco has been linked to legendary QB for years, but, according to Purdy, the 49ers were ready to pursue Brady this past offseason.

In a recent feature from ESPN’s Nick Wagoner, Purdy opened up on his recovery from his elbow issue. In one section, Wagoner explains that head coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers tried to pursue Brady.

“Early in the offseason, Niners coach Kyle Shanahan sat down with Purdy and assured him that if he was healthy he would be the starter unless Brady wanted to play,” Wagoner writes.

“‘That meant so much to me,’ Purdy said. ‘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.’”

We’ll never know how Brady would have played, but considering Purdy’s impressive 2023 campaign, San Francisco can be confident in their decision.

Brock Purdy Speaks on NFL Draft ‘Backup Plan’

In another recent interview with NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco, Purdy detailed what it was like before he was drafted with the final pick of the 2022 NFL draft. That late in the draft, Purdy was essentially preparing for life as a UDFA and weighing his options.

As Heavy’s Matthew Davis covered, the typical training camp roster features four or more quarterbacks. So Purdy would have options, but a phone call from 49ers general manager John Lynch changed things.

“So we didn’t really make a full decision,” Purdy said. “We were going to right after the draft ended. And then, sure enough, [general manager] John Lynch called, and I got drafted. So I had no choice but to come here. But I was very thankful how it all ended up.”

Clearly. Two years into his 49ers career, Purdy is a Pro Bowler with a 19-5 record as a starter.

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey Back at Practice

As San Francisco continues to prepare for the Green Bay Packers, they can take confidence from RB Christian McCaffrey’s return to practice. A calf issue disrupted Week 17 for McCaffrey, he has had two weeks and change to recover.

As Heavy previously covered, McCaffrey was a full participant at San Francisco’s January 16 practice. Heading into the Divisional Round, the 49ers now know that the RB will not only be available but fairly close to a full bill of health.

The Packers have been one of the worst run defenses in the NFL this season. They’ve given up the fifth-most rushing yards per game, and San Francisco will look to abuse that this weekend.

With a league-leading 2023 yards from scrimmage, McCaffrey earned his second first-team All-Pro honor and is a major part of the MVP conversation.