A week has passed since Tom Brady’s latest viral sound bite formally entered the mainstream, yet its reverberations remain powerful, if not perplexing.
Just which NFL quarterback did Brady refer to as a “motherf-----?”
To recap, during his appearance on HBO’s Sports Emmy-Award-winning series The Shop: Uninterrupted (which premiered last Friday), Brady discussed his venture into free agency in early 2020, shortly before signing with the Bucs.
In reference to a team that initially showed interest in Brady but ultimately backed off, the seven-time Super Bowl champ said, “I was thinking, ‘You’re sticking with that motherf-----?’ ”
Naturally, speculation over the team — and quarterback — to which Brady was referring has percolated on talk-radio, in cyberspace and on NFL-centric television. So we’ve chosen to join the fray, offering four educated guesses on a mystery likely to remain unresolved until Brady releases a tell-all memoir (and even then, he may not tell all).
Chargers
In the wake of veteran Philip Rivers’ departure after 16 seasons with the Chargers in early 2020, it was widely believed Brady seriously considered moving to Los Angeles to fill the void. The pairing never materialized obviously, and the Chargers’ starting job ultimately went to journeyman Tyrod Taylor, who suffered a freak rib injury early in the season and was replaced by rookie Justin Herbert. Aside from a Pro Bowl berth, Taylor’s career mostly has been nondescript, and hindsight indicates Brady would’ve been a far better option.
49ers
If Brady truly was referring to a specific team and quarterback, San Francisco seems the most sound conclusion. He was raised just south of the city in San Mateo, and the scenario of finishing his Hall of Fame career with a Super Bowl-contending franchise he grew up idolizing makes sense. Turned out, the 49ers couldn’t shed the $137.5 million contract of starter Jimmy Garoppolo (once Brady’s understudy in New England), who was limited to only six games by injuries in 2020. (Epilogue: San Francisco drafted a quarterback, Trey Lance, in the first round in April).
Raiders
As any Bucs fan of a certain age can attest, Jon Gruden never has met a veteran quarterback he didn’t like, and ESPN’s Jeff Darlington indicated Gruden was among Brady’s suitors. “They were a team that was heavily interested in Brady,” Darlington said on ESPN’s Get Up recently. “They were having internal discussions really up until the late stages, and they did back away ultimately from Brady.” The Raiders began the 2020 season 6-3 behind veteran Derek Carr, then dropped five of their last seven, missing the playoffs.
Everyone
Our own Rick Stroud raised this possibility during a recent appearance on the Rich Eisen Show, and frankly, it may be the most logical hypothesis. “I think every team that had an interest in him have all assumed that it’s them, so that’s mission accomplished by Brady,” Stroud told Eisen. “My guess is, he wants all those guys to think that they screwed him.” Yes, even after 21 seasons and seven world titles, the chip on Brady’s shoulder pads remains that profound.
