While the Indianapolis Colts ultimately decided to sign Philip Rivers, it sounds like they might’ve been able to have Tom Brady if they wanted him.
Of course, the longtime New England Patriots quarterback signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week in a move that shook the NFL. Many reports suggested the market for Brady was not overly robust, but that didn’t stop him from getting a nice deal in Florida.
One of the key factors in Brady signing with the Bucs reportedly was geography. Brady wanted to be close to New York, and a team like the Los Angeles Chargers would not afford him that opportunity.
But how about Indianapolis?
According to NBC Sports’ Peter King, the Colts were, in fact, on Brady’s radar.
“Geography helped,” King wrote. “Though the Brady camp had interest in Indianapolis, the Colts seemed to be set on Philip Rivers on a shorter deal. All other teams in his universe (the Chargers most notably) were further from Brady’s New York home. (Though, of course, he will live in Tampa while he’s a Buc.)”
By signing Rivers to a one-year deal instead, it showed the Colts probably weren’t looking to get into an even semi-long-term commitment with a quarterback. As such, it wouldn’t be too surprising if they said “thanks, but no thanks” to Brady and Co.
