The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, and the speculation around the San Francisco 49ers quarterback situation will not go away. This time Tom Brady’s name has resurfaced to be the future starting quarterback of the 49ers.
The constant chatter between fans and talking heads around the sports world giving their hot take on who should be the next 49ers starting quarterback resurfaces like a fly around your house every six to eight games. No matter how often you try to swat the fly, it resurfaces time after time.
Jimmy Garoppolo, Trey Lance, Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins have all been names that have been linked to the 49ers starting quarterback position. The names keep circulating like a Ferris wheel that never ends. Every other day there is a new name to add to the 49ers’ quarterback carousel. Now, Tom Brady’s name has entered the discussion once again.
Breer: Brady Storybook Ending with 49ers
According to a report by Albert Breer, Senior reporter for Sports Illustrated and Monday Morning Quarterback, Tom Brady and the 49ers would be an ideal fit if he chooses to leave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next season. Breer was on NBC Sports Boston and the radio station 98.5 The Sports Hub with Marc Bertrand and Scott Zolak discussing a storybook ending for Tom Brady.
He brought up the notion of whether the 49ers would be open to acquiring Tom Brady after this season. Tom Brady is signed to a one-year contract extension worth $15 million dollars to play in Tampa Bay through the 2022 season. He would become a free agent at the end of this season.
The report from Breer brings up an interesting question. Should the 49ers consider acquiring Tom Brady this offseason? Again, it’s an exciting scenario brought up by Breer. There are many aspects that come into play with the question of the 49ers pursuing Brady.
Lance Looms Large
One essential element that needs to be taken into consideration is the Trey Lance factor. Initially, Lance was named the starting quarterback for the 49ers after Jimmy Garoppolo was the starter when they went on a magical playoff run that ended in the NFC Championship game last year, where they lost to the Super Bowl champions Los Angeles Rams.
Unfortunately, injuries derailed Lance’s season this year in week two. Garoppolo stepped back into the starting role and has not lost a beat. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has made it clear that when healthy, Lance is the starting quarterback now and in the future.
San Francisco spent a lot of draft capital to move up from twelve to the third overall spot in the 2021 NFL draft to pick Lance. In a league moving in the direction of the dual-threat quarterback, Lance has the potential to be one of the most talented dual-threat quarterbacks in the NFL. But it’s interesting to compare the two quarterbacks.
Lance or Brady?
Lance is only 22 years old and has not even played an entire season as a starter in the NFL. However, he can make plays with his legs, throw the ball deep with accuracy, throw on the run, is a physical specimen, and has a lot of potential in his game.
Tom Brady is not in his prime. He’s 45 years old and in his 23rd season in the NFL. Brady is not mobile and doesn’t know the 49ers’ offensive playbook. What he lacks in athleticism, he makes up with experience, throwing accuracy, and one of the brightest minds in the history of the NFL.
What Brady can do exceptionally well on the field, Lance has yet to prove. He can read the field, complete touch passes to the check-down routes, and lead a team in crunch time scenarios in the fourth quarter. Most of those aspects will come with time and first-team reps when Lance gets playing experience. The answer becomes less complicated if you take the names out of the conversation and look at the players.
It doesn’t make sense to bring an old immobile quarterback in to take over the position of starting quarterback from a young dual-threat quarterback. Lance has barely started his career. When the NFL is moving in the direction of the dual-threat quarterback, why would the 49ers go in a different direction than the league?
Is Brady a Fit for the 49ers?
With all that being said, the question remains: Are the 49ers comfortable with having a young quarterback with little experience leading their team who is ready to win now? With star players like Nick Bosa, Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams, Deebo Samuel, Fred Warner, George Kittle, and Mooney Ward as their team’s core, the 49ers have the star power to compete for Super Bowls now and in the future.
To be blunt, Tom Brady isn’t walking through the door of 4949 way and into the 49ers’ quarterback room any time this season. The 49ers must go through another season of Jimmy Garoppolo as the starting quarterback. But, the Brady scenario will linger depending on the fate of the 49ers this season.
If San Francisco wins the Super Bowl this year and moves on from Garoppolo, Tom Brady isn’t joining the 49ers. However, if the 49ers get eliminated from the playoffs and don’t win the Super Bowl, and Trey Lance is still not ready, then there is a scenario Brady will want to save the day and be the hero for his childhood team.
To answer the question, the 49ers should consider pursuing bringing in Tom Brady in the offseason to be the starting quarterback despite what happens this year because Trey Lance may not be ready to lead this team to win a Super Bowl at such a young age and little experience.
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