NFL Rumors: Tom Brady-To-49ers Possibility Being Downplayed Internally?

Is too much being made of the rumors linking Tom Brady to the San Francisco 49ers?

Sure, it’s a fascinating hypothetical, especially if Brady joining the Niners paved the way for Jimmy Garoppolo to return to the New England Patriots. But it’s worth wondering whether the smoke will lead to any fire, especially with Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman throwing some cold water on the speculation in a piece published Friday about Brady’s looming free agency.

Freeman suggested the Patriots will struggle mightily to replace Brady if the veteran quarterback signs elsewhere this offseason. He believes Brady, meanwhile, will thrive with his new team, although he questions whether San Francisco is a realistic landing spot based on his conversations with team sources.

Here’s what Freeman wrote:

The most likely scenario, though, is that New England will be left struggling to find a good quarterback. That’s what happens most of the time. It takes years, and sometimes decades, for a team to find a solid starting quarterback. The Browns have been looking for a franchise QB since before our sun burned bright, and we still don’t know if Baker Mayfield is the guy.

Worse, just as the Pats might be forced to navigate their post-Brady life, Brady might be in some place like San Francisco (although several team sources are downplaying that possibility) taking the 49ers back to the Super Bowl. And it’s a good bet that unlike Jimmy Garoppolo, Brady would have connected with receiver Emmanuel Sanders for the game-winning touchdown with a minute left in this year’s Super Bowl.

Of course, this might not mean much. Even if the 49ers were planning to go after Brady, it’s likely the idea would be downplayed by those within the San Francisco organization. For one, the Niners don’t want to get slapped with a tampering charge. Nor do they want to run the risk of unnecessarily ticking off Garoppolo, who presumably would remain their starting quarterback if they pursued and struck out on Brady.

Nevertheless, the Brady free agency saga is difficult to gauge at this point. We’ll have a resolution soon enough — free agency officially begins March 18, with the legal tampering period kicking off two days prior — but expect plenty of reports to continue surfacing in the meantime.

And perhaps no rumor is juicier — or more ludicrous? — than the one that involves Brady and Garoppolo trading places.