by Tom Brady will travel to his home state of California over the weekend to play the 49ers, a team he is believed to have wanted to play for in the past.
Instead, Brady and the Bucs will play in Santa Clara against the 49ers. Earlier this week, Kyle Shanahan was asked if he was surprised how the 45-year-old quarterback continues to play at a high level.
“I’d like to say, ‘Of course not,’ but… when you see him that first week in Tampa, you’re like, ‘What the hell was someone thinking?'”
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MIAMI, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 2: Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers reacts to the Kansas City Chiefs during the second quarter of Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium on February 2, 2020 in Miami, Florida.
(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Shanahan squashed any notion that Brady has faltered in recent years and hinted that the quarterback is playing like a player in his prime.
“The guy looks exactly the same, he did that year [in 2020]. He does it when he comes off injuries, and I think now he’s playing as well and shooting the ball as well as I’ve ever seen anybody do.”
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) throws a pass against the New York Giants during the first half of an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 22, 2021, in Tampa, Florida.
(AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio)
Brady departed from New England and signed with the Buccaneers before the start of the 2020 NFL season. In his first season with Tampa, he led his new team to a Super Bowl title, the seventh of his storied career.
Shanahan, who turned down signing Brady in 2020, didn’t hesitate to shower Brady with even more praise.
“He plays the position better than anybody, and he’s definitely the GOAT from what I’ve seen, but I’m not just saying that because he’s won Super Bowls,” Shanahan said. “I say that because of how the position plays. The ball always goes to the right place, and that answer is based on a thousand different things that could be matchups, it could be coverage that could be based on down and distance, time in the game, how He’s playing defense.”
TAMPA, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 5: Tom Brady, #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, throws a pass against the New Orleans Saints during the third quarter of play at Raymond James Stadium on December 5, 2022 in Tampa, Florida.
(Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
The 49ers have acknowledged that they evaluated Brady in 2020. Brady will become a free agent at the end of this season.
The 49ers will be faced with bringing back veteran Jimmy Garoppolo, who suffered a foot injury in Week 13 against the Dolphins, or handing over the reins to Trey Lance, whom they took in the first round of last year’s draft. The team will now turn to seventh-round pick Brock Purdy at least until the start of the playoffs.
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The Buccaneers are (6-6) and look to stay in first place in the NFC South as they make a playoff push. The 49ers (8-4) are currently in third place in the NFC.
