If things had gone a little differently, the New Orleans Saints might have swapped one Hall of Fame-bound quarterback for another earlier this summer. ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington reported that Tom Brady was the Saints’ backup plan if Drew Brees had hung up his cleats, while Jeff Duncan reported for the Athletic that interest was mutual — if not for Brees returning, New Orleans was Brady’s preferred destination. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport also said the same.
It makes sense. From Brady’s perspective, the Saints were ready-built to prop up a talented but aging passer, with a stronger supporting cast than he’d enjoyed with the New England Patriots in recent years. For New Orleans, taking a shot on a washed-up veteran was nothing new: Adrian Peterson, Champ Bailey, Olin Kreutz, James Laurinaitis, and Brandon Marshall are just a few big names they’ve teamed up with before. Maybe Brady would have had more success than them, though.
But it didn’t work out that way. Brady is visiting the Mercedes-Benz Superdome while wearing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ colors for the first time, while Brees is waiting on the other sideline to prove he has what it takes to win a second Super Bowl. If he’s going to pull off that feat, he’ll have to start with a statement win over Brady’s Buccaneers.
