Tom's first choice after he decided to leave the Pats were the 49ers:
"He reached out to Wes Welker, who was now the 49ers’ receivers coach, and let him know that if San Francisco was interested, it would be his choice—no free-agency tour, no bidding war, full stop; he would end his career where his love of football began, in scarlet and gold, allowing his parents to drive to games for the first time since the 1990s."
The 49ers passed:
"The coaches liked Brady’s film—but didn’t love it."
"A few days before free agency began, the 49ers decided to stick with their guy. This time, Garoppolo won."
The winningest quarterback in history has always stayed quiet about his departure from Foxboro, but now the story of his disillusionment and move is becoming clearer.
www.si.com
"The 49ers have acknowledged that they evaluated Brady in 2020. There was reason to think that Brady was considering playing for the 49ers in 2022, but that the team once again said “thanks” and “no, thanks.”
Tom Brady has wanted, at least once in the past three years, to play for the 49ers.
www.nbcsports.com
It's clear why Kyle Shanahan didn't want to sign him and it's because Tom would've stolen the spotlight. Kyle is a pretty arrogant guy and wants to be the star of the show. They passed on him in 2020 and once again in 2022. Kyle's best shot to win anything was from 2019-2023. That roster has been deteriorating yearly.