Tom Brady announced his retirement for the second consecutive year on Wednesday morning, but after all the theatrics of last offseason, many are left wondering if he might unretire if the right opportunity presents itself. Brady was listed as one of the favorites to become the San Francisco 49ers quarterback prior to his announcement, and based on the latest 49ers starting quarterback odds, there’s still a chance the GOAT will come out of retirement to join the team he cheered for as a kid.
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Tom Brady Listed in 49ers Quarterback Odds
Per PointsBet, Trey Lance (-500) is the heavy favorite to start the first game for the 49ers next season. He’s followed by Brock Purdy (+300) and Brady (+3000). The odds may be long for Brady to join San Francisco, and he was adamant that he would not be turning back on his retirement decision this time around.
“I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning, I figured I’d just press record and let you guys know first,” Brady said in a video on Twitter, per ESPN. “I won’t be long-winded. You only get one super emotional retirement essay, and I used mine up last year, so really thank you guys so much to every single one of you for supporting me.”
Kyle Shanahan indicated on Wednesday that the 49ers would be content letting veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo walk in free agency, leaving them with Lance and Purdy in their quarterback room.
“I know we have two starters on our team right now that I believe we can win with, so when you have that situation, you’re not that eager to go looking around,” Shanahan said, per AP.
Lance began last season as the team’s starter but went down with a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2. He has completed just 56 of 102 passes for 797 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions since the 49ers traded up to draft him third overall in 2021.
Purdy turned into the team’s starter following a Garoppolo injury in Week 13, going undefeated until the loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Conference Championship. He ended his dream run with 13 touchdowns to go along with just four interceptions, completing 67.1% of his passes. He left the Conference Championship with a torn UCL that will likely require surgery and a long recovery in the offseason.
The 49ers will likely give Lance another chance to try to stay healthy and prove he’s their franchise quarterback, with Purdy also an option given that he has shown the ability to operate Shanahan’s offense at a high level. However, it’s fair to expect the Tom Brady rumors to continue lurking in San Francisco until next season officially begins with someone else under center.
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