WATCH: George Kittle reacts to rumors about Tom Brady coming out of retirement to play for 49ers
Tom Brady's future is up-in-the-air despite having announced his retirement from the NFL on February 1st. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback stirred rumors of not staying retired long with his ambiguous comment, "Never say never."
The team most linked to him should he return for another season is the San Francisco 49ers.
George Kittle is arguably the most talented player on the 49ers, so it makes sense to assume he'd have inside information of the organization's ongoings.
That's what the NHL-on-TNT crew thought as they interviewed Kittle ahead of the Nashville Predators game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
They asked Kittle whether he knew if Brady would be the next 49ers quarterback. Kittle started by dodging the question in comedic fashion before admitting his uncertainty. Kittle said:
"Oh, I think I'm off-air now. Yeah, no, sorry, you're breaking up. I can't hear you. I know just about as much as all you guys."
Although Kittle isn't sure, many believe Brady's retirement will lead to him announcing a comeback to the NFL and a desire to play for his hometown team.
It's one of the most prominent storylines that won't fade away until training camp begins and Tom Brady isn't on a 53-man roster.
WATCH: George Kittle claims he doesn't know anything about Tom Brady coming out of retirement
: @NHL_On_TNT#49ers TE George Kittle is over these QB rumors 😂😅
🎥: @NHL_On_TNT https://t.co/2bbjnuzgsb
Tom Brady wanting to play for the 49ers checks out for many reasons. Brady grew up in San Mateo, California, just 19.6 miles away from San Francisco.
Although Brady has never publicly stated that he wants to play for them, it's not hard to imagine he could be interested in the idea.
Secondly, Brady being linked to the 49ers isn't just a talk-show theory that others have copycatted. NFL insider Mike Florio said with confidence that he fully expects Tom Brady to come out of retirement to play for the 49ers in 2022.
Mike Florio thinks Tom Brady will be Week 1 QB for 49ers audacy.com/sports/nfl/mik…
The 49ers quarterback situation is currently uncertain, also leaving room for Brady to be the de facto day one starter should he choose to return to the NFL.
Jimmy Garoppolo is one of the most likely trade candidates this offseason. However, there are questions surrounding his potential replacement, Trey Lance, and whether he's ready or not.
Regardless, neither can match up to Brady's 5,316 passing yards, or his 43 touchdowns recorded.
There's no doubt that Tom Brady could walk into the organization on day one and make the 49ers the biggest Super Bowl threat in the NFC. The question becomes whether Brady desires it bad enough to go back on his word of retiring.
With family concerns being one of the primary reasons for retirement, that timeline may never happen.