Tom Brady said he's keeping the team that chose another quarterback over him during his free agency process a mystery, but "they know who they are."
During an appearance on The Shop: Uninterrupted on HBO last month, Brady made headlines by revealing an unnamed NFL franchise decided to go with another quarterback during his free agency, which apparently shocked the now-seven-time Super Bowl champion.
"One of the teams, they weren't interested at the very end. I was thinking, you're sticking with that mother*****r," Brady recounted.
On Tuesday (July 20), the seven-time quarterback said he planned on keeping the mystery team a mystery.
“There’s private things for me that are going to remain motivational for me. “They know who they are...it’s fine," Brady said during a radio interview via Pro Football Talk. "Everyone has a choice to choose. I think what you realize is, there’s not as many smart people as you think. That’s just the reality. I think it’d be a no-brainer if you said, ‘Hey, you’ve got a chance to get Wayne Gretzky on your team, or you got a chance to have Michael Jordan on your team.’...‘Oh, we don’t need him, no thanks. We’re good.’
“In my mind, I’m kind of thinking, ‘OK, let me go show those teams what they’re missing.’ At the same time, let me go prove to the team that did bet on me, and the team that really showed they really wanted me, and committed to me, that I’m not going to let them down.”
The unnamed team's decision to opt for the mystery quarterback instead of Brady obviously worked out for Tampa Bay.
In February, Brady recorded 201 yards and three touchdowns on 21 of 29 passing in Super Bowl LV, winning a record fifth Super Bowl MVP Award, which surpassed his own previous record set in Super Bowl LI (2017).
Brady now owns a 7-3 record all-time in the NFL's biggest game and surpassed his own previous record for most Super Bowl wins by a quarterback (6) set in February 2019. The 43-year-old also broke his own record as the oldest quarterback to both start and win a Super Bowl.
The win was Tampa Bay's second Super Bowl victory in franchise history. The Buccaneers are also the only team in NFL history to both host and win a Super Bowl in their home stadium.
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