| It is probably a little dark to suggest that Tom Brady – if all the maybes somehow turn out to be true – is about to pull off the football version of having been alive to read his own obituary. Yet there is really no other way to describe it. If the last few weeks have all been a ruse, or if Brady just ends up having a summer change of heart and decides retirement is best suited for old guys, he’ll be in a rare spot. He’ll have read all the tributes, the glowing portrayals of his career and its impact on National Football League history and been lauded by all. Without the inconvenience of actually having to step away from the game. Such things don’t happen often in life. Mark Twain got to see what people thought of him when his death was mistakenly announced in 1897. Ernest Hemingway kept a scrapbook of his obits when a similar thing happened in the 1950s and used to read them over breakfast accompanied by a glass of champagne. Sports writers got busy when the news of Brady’s footballing farewell emerged and was then confirmed in an Instagram post a couple of days after the NFC and AFC Championship Games. Yet we are not even out of February and plenty of energy and keystrokes are being used up on the speculation that he could be poised to return, with rumors of a link-up with the San Francisco 49ers refusing to go away. What if he now not only comes back to the NFL, but does what he does best and collects yet another Super Bowl ring? All those works of virtuous penmanship that spoke of his greatness will be rendered incomplete, if not obsolete. No one feels sorry for journalists about such things and nor should they, for if Brady does indeed return it will be the catalyst for a whole new round of storytelling about the biggest name in the game. It will be nirvana for those who like the drama that surrounds football and for those who write about it. He couldn’t do that, could he? Well, he could. Of course he could, which doesn’t mean that he will, but is more than enough to keep tongues a-wagging and imaginations running at a steady pace. For Brady is in a position where he can do mostly whatever he wants. If what he wants most turns out to be playing for the 49ers, or some other team, it’s going to happen. Meanwhile, everyone is losing their minds over something that, as of right now, is nothing. It would only happen this way for Brady. The prospect of his return after those fruitful couple of years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is mouthwatering. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio fanned the flames, merely by saying he had no inside info but did have a hunch that Brady would be a 49er to begin the campaign. He’s not the only one. Like so often with these things, the dots connect, especially if you want them to. Brady grew up in the Bay Area, supported the 49ers as a youngster and was hurt when they – like everyone else – let him drop so far in the draft. From the San Francisco perspective, it would take next to no effort to talk themselves into it. It doesn’t matter that Trey Lance cost a mega-trove of draft picks and has already sat for a year. It is Tom Brady, serial winner and the closest thing to a guaranteed ticket to postseason contention, so all bets are off. Do you think the 49ers, who led in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship Game, would have won the Super Bowl with Brady under center instead of Jimmy Garoppolo? Do you really think they wouldn’t? And while Tampa Bay still holds his rights, it is unlikely they would deny him a release, not after what he delivered to the franchise and the city, with that Super Bowl run, the spike in national interest, and yep, even that hilariously tipsy boat parade. There are many ways to follow the Brady saga and all kinds of rabbit holes to go down. Maybe it wouldn’t even be the 49ers. Brady and his wife Gisele Bundchen have bought a lavish property just north of Miami. As you may be aware, the Dolphins have been looking for an elite quarterback solution for a long time. Those who believe real estate transactions provide a window into the soul – or at least a hint of a player’s intentions – will note that Brady listed his Brookline, Mass., mansion a few months before he left the Patriots. What’s going on with Brady, or not, is a glorious puzzle and it is wildly entertaining. Ever since he left Foxborough, Brady has provided a treasure trove of drama and he’s loved every minute of it. He doesn’t have to stoke the flames, because the football world is doing it for him. Before the Super Bowl, Tony Romo floated an alternate theory, in which Brady takes a year or two off to spend with his family and then returns, rested, at the age of 46 or 47. Yes … 47! It’s implausible and ridiculous, but it’s Tom Brady, which is why it can’t be discounted. As things stand, he’s no longer an NFL player but his movements are more anticipated and his actions more parsed than any current athlete in the league with the possible exception, right now, of Aaron Rodgers. Brady’s read about how much he means to football and now, as everyone salivates over what is either the story of the summer or a total non-story, he’s proving it all over again. |
