Brock Purdy says he 'totally understood' 49ers calling Tom Brady to play for them before 2023 season

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Brock Purdy is the clear franchise quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, but there was a time when the front office was thinking about someone else to lead the offense. 

Purdy suffered a UCL tear during the 2023 NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles, leading to some doubt that he would be ready for the 2023 regular season because he needed rehab. 

The 49ers loved what they saw from "Mr. Irrelevant" in his rookie season after taking over for the injured Jimmy Garoppolo, but they made calls elsewhere to bring in a certain veteran to see if he was interested in joining head coach Kyle Shanahan.

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Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers runs onto the field during pregame warm-ups before Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11, 2024. (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)

Tom Brady, having committed to retirement after losing to the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was called to see if he had any interest in staying in the NFL another season. It never happened. 

Purdy, making an appearance on Audacy’s "The TK Show," said he "understood" why the 49ers would give Brady a call. 

"How I took it was I understand," he said when the radio hosts asked what he was thinking when he found out the team called Brady. "I was hurt (injured), and there wasn't really a certainty as to when exactly I'd be back. Would I be back for the season? Would it be midway through the season? Who knows at that time? So, I totally understood the fact of Kyle and the team needed a quarterback for next season."

49ERS WERE ‘SERIOUS’ ABOUT PURSUING TOM BRADY FOLLOWING BROCK PURDY INJURY, COACH SAYS

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