New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis was asked to revisit the team's rumored pursuit of Tom Brady last offseason. His answer was short and sweet.
"Well, look, all I can say is this: As soon as Drew made the decision that he was going to play again last year, then that's the route we were going," Loomis said on The Adam Schein Podcast. "So, that's probably all I'm going to say to that."
Last month, ESPN's Jeff Darlington said that "people still underestimate how close Tom Brady was to signing with the Saints until he ultimately decided on the Bucs."
Brady, of course, would lead the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title in his first season with the team, defeating Brees in what turned out to be the final game of his career in the NFC Divisional Round. Had Brees elected to retire last offseason, it certainly could have changed history.
For as complete of a roster as the Buccaneers ended up having in 2020, there's few people that would have argued in the months leading up to the season that joining the Saints wouldn't have given Brady a better chance to win than heading to Tampa Bay. Had Brady signed in New Orleans, the Buccaneers, the eventual Super Bowl Champions, may not have even made the postseason. It stands to reason that Brady and Sean Payton could have reached and probably won the Super Bowl.
Instead, Brady signed with a division-rival. While the Saints still won the NFC South - in part because they defeated the Buccaneers twice during the regular season - Brees clearly had less left in the tank than Brady, and that cost them in the playoffs. It may also cost them in 2021, because as much as there is a belief that Jameis Winston and/or Taysom Hill could thrive under Payton, you'd be hard-pressed to find too many executives that would feel more comfortable with one of those two as their starting quarterback than Brady.
Brees announced he would return for his 15th season in New Orleans on February 18, 2020. Just over a month later, Brady signed in Tampa Bay. Whatever conversations may have taken place in back channels before Brees' decision to return, it's hard to think that Brady would have seriously considered stepping on the toes of Brees once he decided to come back.
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