The Tom Brady sweepstakes were hot during the 2020 offseason.
Brady decided to depart from the New England Patriots and eventually signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, ultimately leading the team to a Super Bowl title over the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes.
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Fox NFL broadcaster and former NFL quarterback Tom Brady, right, speaks to Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans, #13, before a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on Sept. 29, 2024. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)
While calling the Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles game on Sunday, Brady revealed the Chicago Bears were among the suitors interested in his quarterbacking services.
“Ultimately, Chicago was a team — and I never told that story before — they were very stealth in their recruitment,” Brady said, via FOX Sports. “I was seriously considering them.
“But in the end, it came down to Tampa. It was close to my son Jack. I love [then-Bucs coach] Bruce Arians and the role he played in the offense. And ultimately, the great players like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin that I’m still out there watching today.”
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Dallas Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones, left, and analyst Tom Brady, center right, talk with others during team warmups before an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
The Bears’ involvement in Brady’s free agency market was the first time anyone had heard about it. The Buccaneers, Los Angeles Chargers and Miami Dolphins were all reportedly rumored to be interested in Brady.
The San Francisco 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders could also have been plausible landing spots, but each team had been tied up with a QB1 already.
The Bears never actually came up.
“You know what? They were really under the radar,” Brady added. “And nobody would’ve realized that. Free agency is a tricky thing and once you make your decision there was no looking back, so there’s no reason to ever tell anybody that.”
Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, #10, throws a pass against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second quarter at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida, on Dec. 27, 2020. (Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports)
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Chicago went 8-8 in 2020 and lost in the wild-card round of the playoffs with Mitchell Trubisky. The team then had Justin Field and now has Caleb Williams.
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