Bears owner confirms ‘stealth’ Tom Brady pursuit in 2020: ‘It didn’t work for us’

“Well, that seems like ancient history at this point. I remember we were interested in pursuing him. It didn’t work out for us,” McCaskey said, according to ESPN. “It worked out great for him in Tampa. Every time you’re in a situation like that, you don’t put all your eggs in one basket. You look at alternatives. It’s the same in free agency, it’s the same in the draft. the person you’re targeting is unavailable, you want to make sure you’ve carefully explored all other options.

“So that was an option we looked at.”

(Related: Tom Brady on the Bears?! Would it have resulted in a Super Bowl for Chicago?)

Brady has no regrets about his choice to sign with Tampa Bay instead of Chicago, especially after the aforementioned Super Bowl win and three straight playoff appearances before retiring for good after the 2022 season.

Tom Brady’s Week 5 Power Rankings: Who Made the Top 5 GOAT?

As for the Bears, they stuck with 2017 first-round draft pick Mitchell Trubisky at quarterback in 2020 but added veteran Nick Foles to the quarterback room, with the two each making a significant number of starts. After the 2020 season, Chicago signed veteran Andy Dalton and traded up to select quarterback Justin Fields in the 2021 NFL Draft. Fields was the Bears’ main starter through 2023 before being traded to the Pittsburgh last offseason Steelers to clear the way for Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Currently, the Bears are 3-2 with Williams under center, keeping pace in a competitive NFC North. The Buccaneers, meanwhile, have remained a playoff-caliber team after Brady’s departure, winning their third straight NFC South title last season with Baker Mayfield as their starting quarterback.

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