Tom Brady made an unexpected revelation about his legendary career while he was working as an analyst for FOX on Sunday.
Brady and FOX play-by-by announcer Kevin Burkhardt were assigned to cover the Week 4 game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. During the fourth quarter of the broadcast, Brady spoke about how he made flashcards to help him choose a new team in free agency after he left the New England Patriots following the 2019 season.
While discussing how he decided on the Bucs, Brady revealed that he seriously considered signing with the Chicago Bears.
“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 them, but in the end it came down to Tampa. It was close to my son Jack. I loved Bruce Arians and the role that he played in the offense. And, ultimately, the great players like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin that I’m still out there watching today.”
"Chicago was a team, and I've never told that story before, they were very stealth in their recruitment." @TomBrady shares the notecards he had when he was making his decision in free agency 👀⬇️ pic.twitter.com/NmPpGMFKU2
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 29, 2024
Brady was linked to the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers before he signed with the Bucs in 2020. He also drew interest from a team that was later hit with a huge tampering penalty for recruiting the star quarterback. It is hardly a surprise that more teams were interested, but that is the first time Brady has ever said he gave real consideration to signing with the Bears.
Obviously, Brady does not regret his decision. He won a Super Bowl in his first season with Tampa Bay, marking his seventh Super Bowl victory overall. There is no way of knowing if he would have accomplished that with the Bears, but fans in Chicago will now be left wondering what could have been.
