National Football League

Will Tom Brady be motivated by perceived 49ers slight?

Published Mar. 17, 2022 6:07 p.m. ET

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Great players are usually adept at finding ways to motivate themselves. Sometimes it's simply about setting their sights on lofty milestones. Sometimes it's the desire to win championships. Sometimes it can be perceived slights.

In the case of Tom Brady, you'd think it'd be difficult for him to find things to motivate himself. He owns all the key records. He has more championships than any quarterback in NFL history. And he's pretty much universally considered to be the greatest signal-caller to ever lace up cleats.

But Skip Bayless thinks there is one thing that will spur Brady onto another championship in the upcoming season.

"Tom Brady is going to be obsessed with winning MVP and a Super Bowl, because his childhood team spurned him again, for the second straight time, two years ago, and now." Bayless asserted on his podcast, "The Skip Bayless Show." "The 49ers, run by the Shanahans, said ‘no’ to the GOAT. Trust me on this. He will be furious. He will go psycho-Tom over this."

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Bayless is referring to two instances in which the San Francisco 49ers opted not to pursue the man who once starred at San Mateo's Junípero Serra High School. 

The first came a couple years ago, when it was reported that the 49ers kicked the tires on Brady before coach Kyle Shanahan decided it wouldn't be enough of an upgrade over Jimmy Garoppolo.

"We looked into it all, and especially with the respect we have for Tom and everything and how great of a player he is, we looked into it to try to see if it would be better for our team this year and in the future," Shanahan said at the time. "And when we weighed it all together, we didn't think it would. And we felt great with where we're at. Kind of confirmed how we are with Jimmy."

Brady eventually signed with Tampa Bay and led the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl win.

Then, after Brady appeared to waffle early in his retirement, there was speculation that he wanted to play for his hometown team for one final season. 

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But since the Bucs owned his rights, the 49ers would have had to traded for the living legend, and they are now notably invested in young QB Trey Lance.

Bayless, though, doesn't think any of that matters. He thinks Brady will use that perceived slight to spur himself on to another great season in Tampa, with another MVP award and Super Bowl championship likely coming as a result.

"He was finally forced to say, 'OK, I'm going to show you … just how wrong you are. It's the sixth-rounder coming out again," he said. "I'm going to show you. I'm going to make you eat this.

"I can't wait to watch him. Because in the end, all I care about is it will be yet again, and even more unprecedented, honor and privilege to watch the GOAT, still in his prime, playing at his highest level, at age 45."

Is Bayless right? Will Brady have another MVP season at age 45? It might not be wise to bet against the GOAT, whether he's inspired by the 49ers' lack of pursuit or not.

You can watch the "The Skip Bayless Show" on YouTube or subscribe on podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts.

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Tom Brady

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

San Francisco 49ers

Skip Bayless

The Skip Bayless Show