The New Orleans Saints reportedly wanted to sign Tom Brady in the off-season if Drew Brees had decided to retire

• Tom Brady will start his first game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.
• According to ESPN, Brady came close to joining the Saints in the offseason, as he was considered one of the team's options if Drew Brees had decided to retire.
• Instead, Brees returned to the Saints, Brady joined the Buccaneers, and now the two meet in Week 1.

After making the biggest move of the NFL off-season, Tom Brady will make his first start with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.

But according to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington, there was a chance Brady could have been on the opposite sideline of Sunday's game.

The Saints had been targeting Brady as a free agent to replace Drew Brees if the longtime Saints quarterback had elected to retire in the off-season. The report said Brees was considering starting a TV career in the 2020 season. Instead, Brees decided against hanging up his cleats and returned for at least one more season with the Saints. He did, however, accept a deal from NBC to become an analyst whenever he finishes playing.

Ultimately, Brady made the move to Tampa Bay, and now the two quarterbacks will meet in Week 1 at the combined age of 84.

Both the Buccaneers and Saints are expected to be contenders heading into the 2020 season, but it's fun to imagine what could have been if Brady had would up succeeding Brees in New Orleans.

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