Saints GM Mickey Loomis on Tom Brady: Once Drew Brees decided to play, this is the road we were going

The first Sunday of the 2020 regular season featured the first of what would be three battles between Tom Brady and Drew Brees as quarterbacks in the same division. This day also included several Sunday Splash! reports suggesting the Saints wanted to sign Brady – even after Brees decided to replay in 2020.

Appearing on Adam Schein’s podcast, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis questioned whether his team is chasing Brady in 2020.

“All I can say is this,” Loomis told Schein. “As soon as Drew decided he was going to replay last year, that’s the route we were going to go. That’s probably all I’m going to say about it.

So why did it feel like Brady was considering the Saints, even after Brees said he would return to New Orleans? The explanation could be that simple. Don Yee represents both Brady and Saints coach Sean Payton. Once it became clear that Brady was headed for the Buccaneers, supporting the Saints as a potential destination would help leverage Tampa Bay to pay more money and / or make more concessions, like free access and complete to the team and its facilities for TB12. guru Alex Guerrero, despite the pandemic.

If Brady was going to Tampa Bay anyway, why wouldn’t Payton help Brady make him as expensive as it could be for the Bucs to have him?

Ultimately, the Saints and Brees beat Brady and Bucs twice this season, including a blowout Sunday night in Tampa. Under the simple elimination, however, Brady and his company were successful.