Tom Brady reveals he has seriously considered signing with the NFC team

When Tom Brady left the New England Patriots in 2020, he had free agency options. And although he eventually signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there was another team that made a compelling case for the legendary quarterback.

When Brady called the Bucs’ game against Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, he told Kevin Burkhardt how he made the decision to play for Tampa Bay. Brady showed his broadcast partner the note cards he used and also revealed a team that was “very secretly” trying to recruit him.

“There were a lot of reasons for choosing Tapa, and I came up with about 18 criteria for it,” Brady said on the FOX broadcast. “And there were things of course, from the salary to the weather, the facilities to the performance of the players. And ultimately, Chicago was a team – and I’ve never told this story before – that was very discreet in its recruiting. I seriously thought about it (signing there). But in the end, it came down to Tampa. It was a close relationship with my son Jack. I love Bruce Arians and the role he played on offense and ultimately the great players like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin that I still watch today.”

Brady would have immediately bolstered the Bears’ offense if they could lure him. Whether he could have led them to a Super Bowl like he did with the Bucs is another question, but that certainly would have raised many eyebrows Had he chosen to play in the Windy City?

After 20 seasons and six Super Bowls with the Patriots, Brady signed with the Bucs en route to his seventh Super Bowl. He retired in 2022 and came out of retirement 40 days later to play another season. Brady – who signed a 10-year deal with FOX before retiring – officially announced his retirement in 2023.