The latest episode of “Storytime with Tom Brady” offered a reminder that even the most decorated quarterback in NFL history still keeps certain memories sharp. Brady has made peace with nearly everything the sport threw at him across 23 seasons, but one team, the one he once rooted for, clearly still sits in a different category.
Why Did Tom Brady Hold Onto the San Francisco 49ers Snub for So Long?
Brady explained that whatever childhood attachment he once had to the San Francisco 49ers disappeared the moment they passed him over in the 2000 NFL Draft. The future seven-time Super Bowl champion said, “You know, my allegiance to the Niners left when they skipped over me six times in the 2000 draft.”
“You chose a goat farmer over me and I never forgot that.”
Before heading to San Francisco to call @RamsNFL vs. @49ers, @TomBrady shares his favorite memories of playing in his hometown of the Bay Area, and what could have been with the Niners 🤔⬇️ pic.twitter.com/4gozNguKRv
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 6, 2025
He added that each time he later faced the 49ers, he played with a personal reminder: “I just wanted to make sure that the coaches who were out there at the time that you chose a goat farmer over me, and I never forgot that.”
The “goat farmer” in question was Giovanni Carmazzi, a Hofstra quarterback taken by the 49ers early in the third round, 134 picks before New England selected Brady at No. 199. Carmazzi never appeared in a regular-season game for the 49ers and was out of the league within a few years before turning to farming.
By the time he had changed careers, Brady already owned three Super Bowl rings, a detail that turned the draft decision into one of the NFL’s most-discussed sliding-door moments.
The 49ers later had another shot at correcting their draft miss. When Brady became a free agent in 2020, the 49ers reportedly debated whether to replace Jimmy Garoppolo with him, but stayed with their starter, allowing Brady to sign with Tampa Bay instead. That choice resulted in another indirect reminder of what they passed on: Brady won a seventh ring with the Buccaneers.
The 49ers tried again in 2023 when Brock Purdy’s elbow injury left the team uncertain, but Brady turned down head coach Kyle Shanahan’s attempt to bring him in.
Despite the bitterness tied to the draft, not every Bay Area memory for Brady was sour. He recalled New England’s 30-17 win over the 49ers in 2016 as one of his favorite career moments, even if the weather initially threatened to spoil it.
Brady said over 100 friends and family members attended, and he was greeted by chants of “Brady! Brady!” before throwing four touchdowns that afternoon.
His return in 2022, however, was far less memorable. The 49ers beat Tampa Bay 35-7 behind Purdy in his first career start. As Brady put it, “We got our butts kicked.”
Brady closed his reflection with a reminder that the 49ers were not alone in overlooking him: “They all passed over me six times… the Patriots passed over me five times. So, they were just one less than everybody else.”
Two decades later, the resume is settled. Brady won; the 49ers did not. And based on his own words, it never will be forgotten.
