Tom Brady discusses 49ers story, Brock Purdy

Retired quarterback Tom Brady spoke during a Tuesday appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" about a story from Nick Wagoner of ESPN published on Jan. 16 that claimed San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan wanted to start Brady over Brock Purdy this season. 

"In this last season, there's a lot of different things that people would suggest, but I kind of just kept my mind focused on where I wanted to go," Brady explained, as shared by David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone. "Again, this was a great year for me to sit back and watch and learn and get prepared for being in the Fox booth next year."

Brady confirmed Tuesday he plans to serve as Fox's lead NFL analyst beginning next season. The two sides agreed to a 10-year contract reportedly worth $375M following the 2021 campaign. 

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggested last week that Shanahan could reach out to Brady again this winter if Purdy turned "into a pumpkin with the season on the line" in this past Sunday's NFC Championship Game versus the Detroit Lions. 

Purdy instead completed 13-of-16 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown in the second half of that contest to help turn a 24-7 halftime deficit into a 34-31 victory that propelled the 49ers to a Super Bowl LVIII matchup versus the Kansas City Chiefs.

"I think Brock's done a great job with the opportunity," Brady said about the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft on Tuesday. "He got it, and he's taken advantage of it. He was a late-round pick. I know he's got a chip on his shoulder, and he wants to go out there and prove every day that he's the right fit for that team."

Brady's deal with Fox combined with his desire to become a limited partner of the Las Vegas Raiders should keep him retired from playing for good. However, McAfee joked on Tuesday that clubs may contact Brady every offseason until the 46-year-old turns 60.