Fifteen months ago, that almost occurred.
By “nearly,” we mean that if the 49ers had managed to win the NFC Championship game despite the injuries to their two active quarterbacks.
Yes, as coach Kyle Shanahan disclosed a few months after the event, the 49ers were hoping to entice Philip Rivers to come out of retirement for the Super Bowl.
Now, any club facing a similar dire position in the latter stages of the season may prepare to make their first call to Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion.
Brady, who turns 47 on August 3, stated during a recent episode of “DeepCuts with VicBlends” that he is open to playing again in the NFL in the event that he is given the opportunity to win an eighth Super Bowl in the role of a backup quarterback.
“I have nothing against it,” Brady declared. “I’m not sure if I’ll be allowed to take over an NFL team as an owner. I’m not sure. I promise to constantly be in good physical condition and to be able to toss the ball. Is Michael Jordan planning to return for a brief visit? I wouldn’t be against it, but I’m not sure if they would let me.”
Every position on a team continuously updates their contingency plan. And the 49ers decided that if they ever ran out of quarterbacks and needed to add someone who could win a game on short notice, they would go after Rivers as an available player.
Trey Lance started for the 49ers as the season began in 2022. In Week 2, he broke his ankle, ending his season. Early in December, Jimmy Garoppolo had a broken foot and went down. The promotion of Brock Purdy to the starting lineup occurred. Garoppolo was kept on the 53-man roster in case the 49ers decided to extend their season after they signed veteran Josh Johnson.
Purdy’s right elbow ligament tore during the first quarter of the NFC Championship game against the Eagles. The 49ers looked to Johnson, but a concussion forced him out of the game in the third quarter. Despite being unable to throw, Purdy returned to the game, and the Eagles easily won 31–7.
Purdy would not have been available for the 49ers’ Super Bowl matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, and Garoppolo most likely would not have been prepared either, even if the team had won.
Shanahan announced in August that Rivers, who last started every 16 games for the Indianapolis Colts in 2020, was expected to sign a contract. Rivers was forty-one years old.
Regarding Rivers’ readiness to sign a contract with the 49ers, Shanahan stated, “He was prepared to.” “Now, those are topics we discussed all year long. it was the plan for much of the year, but we would have had to see how it played out during the Super Bowl.
Rivers, the head varsity coach at Fairhope, Alabama’s St. Michael Catholic, may still be on certain teams’ rosters.
However, Brady has since stated that, given the correct conditions, he might still have football left in him.
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