Several years before the Chicago Bears drafted Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft, they had one of the most legendary quarterbacks in NFL history in their sights, according to the man himself — Tom Brady.
During FOX’s broadcast of Week 4’s matchup between Tampa Bay and Philadelphia, Brady talked about his decision to sign with the Buccaneers in 2020 free agency and the different criteria that influenced his decision, from the weather to the team’s players.
Brady also revealed for the first time that he “seriously” considered signing with the Bears for the 2020 season after Chicago made a “stealth” attempt to sign him.
“Chicago was a team — and I’ve never told that story before — they were very stealth in their recruitment,” Brady said during September 29’s broadcast. “I was seriously considering them, but in the end it came down to Tampa. It was close to my son Jack, I loved Bruce Arians and the role he played in the offense and ultimately the great players like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin that I’m still out there watching today.”
Tom Brady Signing Could Have Altered Bears’ History
The Bears’ 2020 interest in Brady is a revelation that shows just how much differently things could have gone for Chicago back then. Ten days after Brady signed his contract with the Buccaneers in March, the Bears traded a fourth-round pick to Jacksonville for veteran quarterback Nick Foles and brought him in to challenge Mitchell Trubisky.
Foles ended up starting seven games for the Bears and throwing 10 touchdowns to eight interceptions on the season, but Chicago stumbled to an 8-8 finish and lost in the wild-card round of the 2020 NFL playoffs. Meanwhile, Brady threw for 4,633 yards and 40 touchdowns and helped the Buccaneers franchise win its second Super Bowl title.
The Bears have gone through several quarterback changes since missing out on Brady. After losing in the 2020 playoffs, the team signed veteran Andy Dalton to compete with Foles and then traded up to draft Justin Fields at No. 11 overall in the 2021 NFL draft. Chicago could not strike an effective balance between the three quarterbacks and went 6-11 on the season, turning over the front office and coaching staff in the offseason.
The Bears then firmly passed the starting quarterback baton to Fields in 2022, but he struggled with passing consistency over his next two seasons. Ultimately, the Bears gave up on Fields during the 2024 offseason with the No. 1 pick in their possession, trading him to Pittsburgh for a conditional pick and taking Williams with the top selection.
The Bears might still be in a similar situation now if they had landed Brady in 2020 — as the Buccaneers, too, have rebooted at quarterback with Baker Mayfield — but getting the future Hall of Fame could have altered the course of the last four years in Chicago.
Caleb Williams Looked Better in 24-18 Win Over Rams
Putting aside the past, the Bears got another encouraging performance out of Williams — their quarterback of the future — in Week 4’s win over the Rams on Sunday.
Williams threw for roughly 200 fewer passing yards than he did in Week 3’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts when he set a single-game rookie franchise passing record with 363 total passing yards, but he was much more efficient through the air. He completed 17 of his 23 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown against the Rams and did not turn the ball over, a necessary improvement after he threw two picks and fumbled once in Week 3.
Through four starts, Williams has completed 61.7% of his passes (87 of 141) for 787 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions for the Bears. He finished with his highest quarterback rating (106.6) of his career in the 24-18 win over the Rams.
The Bears also managed to take the pressure off Williams with a more effective run game against the Rams. D’Andre Swift — who entered the game averaging less than 2 yards per carry — rushed for a season-high 93 yards and his first Bears touchdown on 16 carries and caught a team-high seven passes for 72 yards on seven total targets.
The Bears are now 2-2 on the season and will have an opportunity to get back above .500 when they host the Carolina Panthers (1-3) at Soldier Field on October 6.
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Bears Made ‘Stealth’ Attempt to Sign Future Hall of Fame QB