Tom Brady to 49ers Buzz Reportedly Has Some Backing as Free Agency Rumors Swirl

While it doesn't necessarily make sense on paper, the San Francisco 49ers are reportedly considering all of their options after losing Super Bowl LIV in painful fashion to the Kansas City 49ers.

The emergence of Jimmy Garoppolo in Kyle Shanahan's offense should not be understated, but the 28-year-old disappeared in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl, catching flak from fans and pundits alike. It's these moments, when a late game-winning drive is needed, that Garoppolo hasn't yet proven himself capable. Jimmy G's former teammate Tom Brady, meanwhile, has demonstrated that, despite deteriorating arm strength and mobility, his late-game heroics remain the stuff of legend.

With that in mind, the Niners are reportedly exploring the possibility of bringing in Brady, who is a free agent this offseason.

Signing Brady wouldn't necessarily mean the 49ers are giving up on Garoppolo long term -- it just makes it evident the team views Jimmy G as second-tier to a 43-year-old future Hall of Famer. At 28 and arguably playing at a Pro Bowl level, one wouldn't blame Garoppolo for being slightly taken aback by these rumors. The 49ers have been nothing but supportive of Garoppolo publicly, but what goes on behind the scenes remains a mystery.

The 49ers failed to reach their ultimate goal last year, and considering they were so close, the front office is going to examine each possible area that could use an upgrade. With the best quarterback of all time on the open market, this is about the only offseason where Garoppolo's job status would be in question.

Unfortunately for Jimmy G, the most recent memory the organization has of him is failing to keep a double-digit lead in the second half, while a better signal-caller got the best of them. That's a tough pill to swallow for a 49ers team that was arguably better at most positions top to bottom, with QB being an obvious exception.