Tom Brady is retired. Will he remain retired? Where will Aaron Rodgers end up if he doesn't stay in Green Bay? There have been a lot of rumors this offseason surrounding potential quarterback moves, and we aren't even a week past the Super Bowl.
Most believe the San Francisco 49ers will transition from Jimmy Garoppolo to Trey Lance this offseason, with the former likely to be traded. Some wonder if Lance is ready to take the reins, though. He started just two games during his rookie season, getting most of his reps on the scout team.
Brady or Rodgers starting for the 49ers next season seems far-fetched. The Packers probably wouldn't allow their quarterback to depart for the team that knocked them out of the postseason just weeks ago. However, Mike Sando of The Athletic believes the possibility of Brady living out his childhood dream of playing for the 49ers is at least plausible.
Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young joined KNBR's Tolbert, Krueger & Brooks show on Wednesday. He was asked about the possibility of Brady or Rodgers opening the 2022 season as the 49ers' starter. Should the 49ers pursue either or focus on preparing Lance, as planned?
Young believes that even if Brady's talents diminish from last season's impressive 5,316-yard, 43-touchdown season, he's still among the best in the game.
"If I'm Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady—or anybody—Trey Lance or Jimmy Garoppolo, I want to be here," Young said. "I want to be here! This is the place. There's maybe one or two others you might consider but not really. None in the AFC. I don't want to go hang around fight[ing] Josh Allen, and Patrick Mahomes, and Justin Herbert, and Joe Burrow, and maybe Deshaun Watson, maybe Lamar Jackson. All those guys claw at each other every year, trying to get to the Super Bowl.
"In the NFC right now, if you want to go to the Super Bowl, and you want to not be clawed at all the time, stay in the NFC. So, if I'm going to be in the NFC, and I'm going to pick one of the 16 teams that's ready ... the 49ers are that team."
Young believes the benefits of bringing in a Brady or a Rodgers outweigh the costs. San Francisco was talented enough to reach the NFC Championship Game with Garoppolo. You could get a Super Bowl out of Brady. You might get a couple with Rodgers.
"Now with Trey Lance, we don't know," Young continued. "And Trey doesn't know. If Trey was ready, Trey would have played. Trey needs to get ready in this offseason. This needs to be the biggest boot-camp effort in history to get him ready to be expansive."
Obviously, adding Brady or Rodgers would give Lance more time to perfect his craft. The 49ers had an opportunity to sign Brady in 2020, opted to stick with Garoppolo, and then watched Brady go win a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They called to at least inquire about Rodgers before last year's draft.
Young added, "But if you're asking me what I think of Aaron Rodgers coming, or Tom Brady, or Steve Young --"
Young laughed, obviously joking, wishing he could still suit up and play for Kyle Shanahan in an NFL game that better protects quarterbacks compared to his playing days.
"What I'm saying is, the 49ers are that team," Young shared. "So yes. Yes. I'm not trying to encourage anything, but yes. ... If I have a chance to be good or great, the number one place I can do it is right here. It's already been proven to me.
"... That's why, if you're Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers, and that's the way they want to think about it, and you say, 'Well, where would you go?' The number one place is, right now, here, no question."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Young below.
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