Did 49ers want Tom Brady over Brock Purdy for 2023 season?

It appears San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan would've sat quarterback Brock Purdy throughout the 2023 season had Shanahan been able to talk a living legend out of retirement. 

"I remember him saying, if we can get Tom Brady, we're going to try to get him," Purdy told Nick Wagoner of ESPN about a conversation he had with Shanahan following the 2022 campaign. "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.'"

Shanahan previously suggested he regretted that the 49ers didn't sign Brady as a free agent in March 2020, and the seven-time Super Bowl champion was repeatedly linked with San Francisco last winter after Purdy suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow during the 2022 NFC Championship Game. 

Brady grew up a San Francisco fan in San Mateo, but there's no indication the 46-year-old seriously considered ending a second playing retirement after issues related to his divorce hung over him and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout last season. 

Meanwhile, Purdy emerged as a legitimate MVP candidate this past fall and ultimately helped the Niners clinch the NFC's No. 1 seed for the postseason tournament. 

Per ESPN stats, the second-year pro ended the regular season ranked first in the league among qualified players with a 72.7 adjusted QBR and a 113.0 passer rating. He was third with 31 touchdown passes and fifth with 4,280 yards through the air. 

Tampa Bay is currently "playing free" during the playoffs with Baker Mayfield running its offense instead of Brady, while Purdy will guide the 49ers into this coming Saturday's divisional matchup versus the Green Bay Packers. As of late Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the 49ers as 9.5-point favorites to return to the conference title game for a third consecutive year.