Lynch admits 49ers mulled run at Brady in free agency

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Despite backing Jimmy Garoppolo publicly, the San Francisco 49ers did indeed consider pursuing Tom Brady in free agency.

"When you're talking about one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time with Tom Brady, of course you're going to have some internal discussion," general manager John Lynch told "The Rich Eisen Show" on Tuesday. "And then you hear rumors that hey, he'd like to come home, that kind of thing. So of course (head coach) Kyle (Shanahan) and I have discussions."

Rumblings of a Brady-49ers marriage surfaced around the NFL combine after the 49ers fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV. In that game, Garoppolo overthrew Emmanuel Sanders on a potential go-ahead touchdown late, prompting questions about whether the 49ers can win a title with him at quarterback.

"We're always into getting better, so you always look at everything, especially a situation like that," added Lynch. "But within a day or two, Kyle and I looked at each other and said, 'You know what, we really like what we have in Jimmy.' We love everything that he brings and we really believe it's a long-term answer. I would tell you we're more convicted than ever about who our quarterback is in Jimmy Garoppolo."

Incidentally, Garoppolo backed up Brady on the New England Patriots for three-plus seasons before San Francisco acquired him in a trade. The 49ers endorsed Garoppolo at the combine but didn't rush to squash the Brady rumors as they picked up steam.

"Kyle and I had just made a statement at the combine, stating how much we believed in Jimmy," Lynch said. "Then these rumors come out. ... If you start chasing every rumor out there and making a statement on it, then you're doing that all the time. Yes, this was a bigger one, but the important thing was we had talked to Jimmy and told him exactly what I told you."

Garoppolo threw for 3,978 yards with 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 2019, which marked his return from a torn ACL he had suffered the year prior.

Brady ultimately signed a two-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, leaving the Patriots after a 20-year run that included six Super Bowl titles.

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