Chicago Bears owner addresses failed free agency pursuit of Tom Brady
Chicago Bears owner and chairman George McCaskey confirmed the team was in talks to sign Tom Brady in 2020. The retired legendary quarterback recently revealed during a Fox broadcast that the Bears pursued him heavily after he left the New England Patriots.
Ultimately, Brady ended up signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and led the team to the Super Bowl.
Speaking to ESPN, McCaskey confirmed the Bears did try to sign him, but it didn't work out.
"Well, that seems like ancient history at this point," McCaskey said. "I do remember we were interested in pursuing him. It didn't work out for us. Worked out great for him in Tampa.
"Anytime you're in a situation like that you're not putting all of your eggs in one basket. You're looking at alternatives. It's the same in free agency, it's the same in the draft. If the person you're targeting isn't available, you want to make sure that you've done your due diligence on all other options. So that was one option that we were looking at."
Chicago ended up acquiring Nick Foles in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars in March of 2020 after not signing Brady.
Brady won the Super Bowl with the Buccaneers that season. Meanwhile, Foles played nine games for the Bears, going 202 for 312 for 1,852 yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Chicago Bears owner heaps praise on rookie QB Caleb Williams
Although Chicago didn't sign Tom Brady, George McCaskey is happy with how everything turned out.
The Bears selected Caleb Williams first overall in the 2024 NFL draft. The rookie QB has helped Chicago to a 3-2 record, and McCaskey is happy with how Williams has played.
"I think it's gone very well," McCaskey said. "We wanted to have a structure in place for him to succeed, and a lot of that was protecting him from the inevitable distractions when you're the starting quarterback of the Chicago Bears.
"Everybody wants some of your time, and unfortunately, in order for him to do his job properly, he doesn't have time for everyone. We have to protect him, we have to act as buffers, and I think we have a good support system in place for him."
Williams has gone 107 for 170 for 1,091 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions this season.
The Bears are set to play the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on Sunday in Week 6.