An anonymous NFL executive believes Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady's brief retirement was a ploy meant to set the stage for a potential trade to the San Francisco 49ers.
According to Mike Sando of The Athletic, the exec said: "Brady came out with a statement saying he needed to do it before free agency, but I'm thinking these several weeks have been all about seeing if the 49ers were willing to bring him in."
When asked if the Buccaneers would have been willing to trade Brady had the Niners been interested, the executive said: "I'm thinking Brady would have felt like he has so much PR on his side that they would have been willing to let him out, that he delivered a Super Bowl.