Rumors swirled early in the offseason about the San Francisco 49ers potentially looking into signing future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady. It turns out, some of those rumors were true. The team's decision-makers thoroughly discussed the possibility, spending multiple days reviewing film of not just Brady, but their own quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo.
You know, the guy who helped the 49ers win 13 games, a division crown, and home-field advantage in the playoffs on the way to the Super Bowl.
In the end, the team decided early on that it made more long-term sense to move forward with Garoppolo rather than a now-43-year-old Brady.
General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan didn't keep Garoppolo in the dark, though. They kept the lines of communication open and discussed their thoughts throughout the process.
Garoppolo doesn't take it personally. He spoke with reporters on Tuesday via a video conference call and shared why the flirtation with Brady didn't bother him too much.
"When all that was going on, you hear about it and things like that," Garoppolo said. "But I really wasn't too worried. I'm always confident in my play, and I know what I put out there [last] season and everything like that. So, it's all about being confident.
"It's just part of the business. I've seen both sides of it. I've been there."
Brady ended up signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Garoppolo was asked if he had conversations with his former New England Patriots teammate during the offseason process, but he didn't provide an answer.