Tom Brady: I was only going to play for Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It’s been hard to ignore the rumors of Tom Brady flirting with other teams after leaving the New England Patriots in 2019. We see what he’s done in the past two seasons, leading his team to a Super Bowl victory in his first year in Champa Bay, but plenty of other teams wanted a piece of the action too.

The Miami Dolphins were punished for tampering, losing their first-round pick in 2023 as well as their third-round selection. Team owner Stephen Ross was also fined $1.5 million for his franchise’s actions.

We’ve also heard rumors, courtesy of Dana White, suggesting Brady landing with the Raiders was nearly a done deal before Jon Gruden put the kibosh on the deal.

However, even though he was likely at the center of the discussions, Brady doesn’t buy into either theory. Speaking with media following his 2022 preseason debut on Saturday night, Brady spoke about how he was always destined to land in Tampa Bay.

“I read all these different stories about all these different places I was supposed to go or could have gone. I was only going to go to one place, which was here. I think this whole organization knows that.”
Tom Brady squashing past offseason rumors

Tom Brady made the right decision to sign with Tampa Bay Buccaneers

After two seasons with the Buccaneers, it’s hard to argue with the choice TB12 made. Brady immediately led his team to a Super Bowl victory in his first season, and they may have been on their way to another last year. Only his team suffered several injuries, much like they’ve already experienced during their preseason as well.

The Miami Dolphins and Las Vegas Raiders both appear to be in a good place in 2022, but Brady joining either squad would have helped take them even further. We still don’t know if Tua Tagovailoa is the long-term answer down in Miami, but the opportunity to add Brady should never be ignored.

In Vegas, they’ve always had Derek Carr since Brady has been rumored to be available. Though he may not be at the level Brady is, having a Pro Bowl quarterback is hard to walk away from. He justified their faith by leading his team to the postseason in 2021. Now, paired with his buddy in Davante Adams, they’ll look to build on a strong season, only now with Josh McDaniels at the helm instead of Jon Gruden and Rich Bisaccia.

We’ll see if Brady can get back to the promised land at the end of the 2022 season with the Buccaneers, but as far as many are concerned, he’s already done enough winning with the Bucs. But still, there’s an expectation for him to have a chance to win his eighth Lombardi Trophy.