When Tom Brady came out of retirement in 2020, he shocked the NFL world by signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, according to a recent revelation, his decision wasn’t as clear-cut as it seemed. During FOX’s coverage of a game in September, Brady disclosed that he seriously considered signing with the Chicago Bears before ultimately choosing Tampa Bay.
Brady‘s choice to join the Bucs wasn’t made on a whim. In fact, he meticulously weighed the pros and cons of each team, even writing them down on paper.
Former Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians, who worked closely with Brady during their Super Bowl-winning 2020 season, shed light on the key factors that drove the quarterback’s decision during a recent episode of Scoop City.
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Arians revealed that Tampa Bay’s pursuit of Brady was as deliberate as Brady‘s analysis of the team.
“He knew what we were doing, he knew our players,” Arians explained. “He did the tax codes in Florida. It was on the East Coast, everything kind of fit what he was looking for, you know, easy access back up to see Jack.”
The role of family in Brady’s decision
One of the biggest factors in Brady‘s choice to sign with Tampa Bay was his desire to remain close to his 17-year-old son, Jack, who he shares with ex-girlfriend and actress Bridget Moynahan.
At the time, Moynahan was based in New York while working on the CBS drama Blue Bloods, which meant Brady wanted to stay on the East Coast to be closer to Jack. Tampa Bay provided a convenient solution, as opposed to Chicago, which would have taken him to the Midwest.
As a devoted father, Brady‘s relationship with his son has been well-documented. He has often spoken about his love for watching Jack play quarterback, even mentioning it on his Let’s Go! podcast in 2022.
“I love watching him play quarterback because I think there’s very few things in life that I could probably help him with,” Brady said at the time. “You know, I don’t have a lot of specialties in life other than probably throwing the football. He’s just a great kid. But I can definitely help him at quarterback.”