Why Tom Brady's wish to end career with 49ers didn't come true

With Tom Brady's exit from New England all but guaranteed, the quarterback sat down to plan the tail-end of his career. He could go to a number of places, all of which would accept him with open arms and effectively give him control of the franchise. That is, aside from the team he truly wanted to end with: the San Francisco 49ers.

Tom Brady wanted to be a 49er first

It was revealed in the new book "It's Better to be Feared" that Tom Brady originally wanted to finish his career in San Francisco, per CBS Sports. He wanted to finish his career with the team because it was his favorite team growing up. He was present at the game where "the catch" happened and was also at Joe Montana's final game in 1992.

However, at the time, the 49ers were distinctly enjoying Brady's one-time apprentice Jimmy Garoppolo after he led them to a Super Bowl. Brady promised he would avoid testing free agency and would choose San Francisco as his team. It wasn't enough for Kyle Shanahan.

After talking with Brady, Shanahan went back and watched the tape of every throw from Brady in 2020 and didn't feel it would be an upgrade. The 49ers were happy with Jimmy Garoppolo and were prepared to stick it out with the younger player.

Of course, the G.O.A.T. would once again prove his doubters and detractors wrong, as he typically does.

If we fast forward to today, we can say that hindsight is 20/20. This means that if only Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers would have been able to see the future at the time that they decided to stick with Jimmy Garoppolo.

Brady has gone on to win a Super Bowl and is still going strong with the Buccaneers. Meanwhile, Jimmy Garoppolo is in the process of likely handing his job over to Trey Lance, the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Could Tom Brady still end up in San Francisco?

With a quarterback battle brewing in San Francisco, could Brady still have a shot at landing with the 49ers at some point? Brady is signed through 2022 with the Buccaneers, so any change is unlikely before 2023.

However, there is a scenario in which he could still land with the 49ers for a final season.

Super Bowl LIV - San Francisco 49ers v Kansas City Chiefs

If Trey Lance takes over and proves to be a failed experiment, which could be clear by the end of 2022, the 49ers could possibly be looking for a quarterback once again. At the same time, Brady may be scheduled to be without a team. This could give him the opportunity to win a Super Bowl with three different teams, which no quarterback has ever done.

Of course, he may retire, but if he gets a shot with his childhood team, would he be able to say no?