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Tom Brady names NFL team he nearly signed for but snubbed for heartwarming reason

Tom Brady has revealed that the team were actually a serious contender to sign him back in 2020 - before he eventually joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he finished his career

[Former NFL player Tom Brady made the revelation during the broadcast of the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers]

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Former NFL player Tom Brady made the revelation during the broadcast of the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers(Image: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

NFL icon Tom Brady has spilled the beans on a secret approach from the Chicago Bears back in 2020, revealing he turned them down to stay close to his son.

After ending his epic 20-year stint with the New England Patriots at the conclusion of the 2019 season, the rumour mill was abuzz with talk of where the six-time Super Bowl champion would end up next. The Los Angeles Chargers and the Miami Dolphins were frequently named as frontrunners in the race for his coveted signature.

Yet, it's now come to light that before Brady ultimately chose the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Chicago Bears had their sights set on luring him to Illinois. The recently retired legend let slip this bombshell during the Bucs' recent game against the Philadelphia Eagles in his new role as an analyst.

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While commentating for FOX Sports, the channel's fresh NFL pundit reminisced about his covert discussions with the Bears' recruitment team, admitting: "Ultimately, Chicago was a team - and I never told that story before - they were very stealth in their recruitment. I was seriously considering them."

Brady has revealed that his personal life played a crucial role in his decision not to join the Bears, with the star quarterback prioritising being near his son, Jack. He explained: "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 [star wide receivers] Mike Evans and Chris Godwin that I'm still out there watching today."

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[Fox Sports commentator and former NFL quarterback Tom Brady recalled the detail during the game]

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(Image: Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

The revelation left his colleague Kevin Burkhardt astounded as Brady admitted they had kept their discussions hush-hush. He disclosed: "You know what? They were really under the radar. 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."

Brady's choice to head to Tampa Bay instead turned out to be a masterstroke, as he clinched his seventh Super Bowl title in his debut season with the Buccaneers. Reflecting on his move, the football icon remarked: "I just felt like ultimately I made a great decision coming to Tampa."

"And what we accomplished as a team, and relationships with [general manager] Jason Licht and his whole staff and all the players ... it meant so much to me. Three years later, [after] I left, I realize how important this place has been in my football journey."

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