From the outside looking in, the signing of Tom Brady with the Bucs seemed pretty seamless. He was never rumored to be close to a contract with another team, and the number of heavily-interested suitors seemed limited.

But according to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, Brady almost ended up elsewhere in the NFC South during free agency in 2020. Speaking on the network’s Get Up show on Wednesday morning, Darlington had this to say:

“I think think that people still underestimate how close Tom Brady was to signing with the New Orleans Saints,” Darlington said. “It was up until he ultimately decided on the Bucs. I know that is going to be a statement that people try to question, but it’s the truth.

“And here’s the deal. Sean Payton cannot look back and say, ‘Man, I would have loved to have Tom Brady last year’. Because that would also have meant he’d have him for a few more years moving forward. No question in my mind, the Saints, despite understanding they did what they had to do, there is a little bit of – let’s call it regret – that Tom Brady is not their quarterback.”

Wow. We knew the Saints had maybe inquired about Brady, but Darlington’s report makes it sound like they were one of the few strong contenders for Brady’s services. It’s not hard to envision the Saints as Super Bowl champions if they had signed Brady. Especially when you consider the Bucs wouldn’t have been in their way.

For those who question Darlington’s report, it’s important to remember he was the first major network reporter to predict Tom Brady would leave New England. He’s been very dialed into all situations surrounding Brady’s free agency.

Brady Almost A Raider?

Darlington also mentioned another team that nearly signed Brady away in the Las Vegas Raiders.

“There were several teams that were in the hunt and did back out,” Darlington said. “I’ll point out a perfect example here: the Las Vegas Raiders. They were a team that was heavily interested in Brady. They were having internal discussions up until the late stages. And they did back away, ultimately, from Brady.”

The entire conversation on Get Up was based around Brady’s recent comments on a preview for HBO’s The Show Uninterrupted. During the clip, the quarterback claims disbelief that a team courting him in free agency decided to stick with their current starter instead.

Based on Darlington’s reporting, it sounds like more than just Tampa Bay’s talent attracted Brady to the franchise. The Bucs apparently made it clear from the outset that they were all in on the star quarterback, while other suitors were less direct.

“I should also point out, the Tampa Bay Bucs were in from the very beginning,” Darlington said. “Now mind you they felt ready to move on from Jameis Winston. They felt like they really didn’t want to pay him what he was probably going to [cost]. Look, they decided to move on, and they went headfirst into Tom Brady. They never wavered, they never changed. They told him ‘we want you!’. Tom Brady loved that about the Tampa Bay Bucs. The rest is history.”

Yes, yes it is. Sweet Super Bowl history.