49ers, Raiders reportedly never were serious contenders to sign Tom Brady
While Tom Brady’s retirement may disappoint some San Francisco 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders fans that were hopeful their teams would sign him this offseason, some new reports give the impression that was never an option for the 15-time Pro Bowler.
Brady surprised the sports world on Wednesday morning when he posted a video to his social media accounts that revealed he was bringing his incomparable NFL career to an end after 23 seasons. The decision wasn’t shocking for a 45-year-old professional athlete, but still surprising for several reasons.
The first is, despite a decline in certain key stats this season, Brady was still a high-level player at arguably the most important position in sports. Furthermore, several notable franchises were linked to potential pursuits of his services in the offseason, including the 49ers and Raiders.
However, following the Brady news, ESPN NFL insider Jeff Darlington reported that despite a disappointing 8-9 finish for the Buccaneers in 2022-23, his plans for next season boiled down to staying in Tampa for a fourth year or retiring. Testing his value on the NFL free agent market was not a serious consideration.
