Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady's recent admission that he was "strongly considering" joining the Chicago Bears during his free agency offseason in 2020 has reignited speculation on a mystery team that chose to stick with its quarterback at the time.
Brady had previously revealed that an unnamed NFL franchise surprisingly decided to go with another quarterback during his free agency before he ended up signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, during an appearance on The Shop: Uninterrupted on HBO in 2021.
"One of the teams, they weren't interested at the very end. I was thinking, you're sticking with that mother*****r," Brady said at the time.
Former first-round pick Mitch Trubisky, who was in his fourth season, started nine games for the Bears in 2020, which included the first three games before being benched for veteran quarterback Nick Foles and reclaiming the starting role for the team's last six games. Brady, now the lead NFL analyst for FOX Sports, discussed the "18 criteria" he had for the team he planned to sign with at the time while broadcasting Sunday's (September 29) game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Buccaneers, the team he actually signed with and led to a Super Bowl victory later that year.
The future Hall of Famer said he factored salary, weather, facilities and new teammates and acknowledged that Chicago made a strong pitch during his decision.
“Chicago was a team, and I’ve never told that story before, they were very stealth in their recruitment,” Brady said. “I was seriously considering, but in the end, it came down to Tampa. And it was close to my son Jack, I loved Bruce Arians and the role that he played in offense, and ultimately the great players like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin that I’m still out there watching today.”
Brady, widely regarded as the greatest quarterback of all-time, would've provided the Bears with stability at the position they've struggled to fill for decades. Chicago has started eight different quarterbacks and drafted two in the first round since 2020.
Brady spent his final three seasons with the Buccaneers, who had a franchise-record 13-win season in 2021 and won back-to-back NFC South Division titles. Tampa Bay won its game against the Eagles, 33-16, on Sunday.