Wild Story of How Tom Brady Signed With the Bucs in 2020 Without Leaving His Apartment

Tom Brady joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 and played three seasons before retiring from the NFL with sevens rings.

Wild Story of How Tom Brady Signed With the Bucs in 2020 Without Leaving His Apartment

Tom Brady, Mike Greenberg (Images via Newsday/NJ.com)

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In 2020, six-time champion with the New England Patriots, former sixth-round pick Tom Brady left the streets of Foxborough and joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The trade that happened at the height of the pandemic shocked the whole sporting industry.

The story of how Tom Brady became a Buccaneer was a wild one. Ordinarily, NFL teams follow a straightforward process: they fly the player to team facilities, conduct medical examinations, and finalize the contract in person. However, the onset of COVID-19 lockdowns rendered this standard procedure impossible.

The Bucs assistant general manager and capologist, Mike Greenberg, recently reflected on the story from a few years ago on how the whole trade unfurled in an interview with Ari Meirov of the 33rd Team.

According to Greenberg, the Bucs were faced with a critical problem. Tom Brady had verbally expressed his willingness to join the Buccaneers, but there was no legally binding commitment without his signed contract. Greenberg feared that another franchise might seize the opportunity to lure Brady away if there were delays. After all, the Bears were equally linked to sign Brady at that time. It is known that Brady’s son, Jack, played a huge role in his decision to join the Buccaneers.

Complicating matters, Brady was in his New York apartment without access to a printer. And as one might guess, local print shops and courier services such as Kinko’s and UPS were closed due to the lockdown. But that wasn’t going to deter the Bucs.

Determined to avoid any risk, he devised an unconventional plan. Greenberg forwarded the contract to his brother-in-law, an NBC employee residing in New York, and instructed him to deliver it directly to Brady.

I wanted that thing signed right away. So Fortunately, I call my brother-in-law Jake, who lives there, lives in New York City… I go Jake, I need you to do me a favor and you have to do it now. At 4.01 or whaetver time, you have to go and print out a contract and I need you to go to Tom Brady’s apartment and I need you to have him sign it.

Greenberg reflected

Greenberg’s brother-in-law came through, and the contract reached the quarterback promptly. Yes, it worked. Brady didn’t step out of his apartment at all, but he was legally a Buccaneer.

What followed was history. Tom Brady wasn’t done with his six rings. In his first season, Brady ended the thirteen-year playoff drought of the Buccaneers. In the playoffs, the Bucs defeated the Commanders and exacted revenge on the division winners New Orleans Saints, and made the NFC Championship. Brady defeated the Green Bay Packers in the conference game and became the fourth NFL quarterback to lead two different teams to a Super Bowl.

The Bucs went on to become the first team to win the Super Bowl in their home stadium, defeating Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. They also maintained their record as one of the two teams that have never lost in the final game.

The Bucs begin the 2025 season 2-0, fueling early Super Bowl hopes

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have started perfectly in the 2025 season with two wins from two games. The Bucs defeated their division rivals Atlanta Falcons, in Week 1, thanks to a strong performance from quarterback Baker Mayfield, who threw for three touchdowns.

Baker Mayfield
Baker Mayfield (Image via The Pewter Plank)

In Week 2, the Bucs once again overcame a close contest against the Houston Texans. The Bucs won 20-19 against the Texans and maintained their spot at the top of the NFC South. They have gone 2-0 for the fifth time in a row. The two wins came on their road, and they will debut at their home in the coming week against the New York Jets.

The Buccaneers have high expectations in 2025. The Bucs’ hope is centered around quarterback Baker Mayfield, bolstered by first-round receiver Emeka Egbuka and a deep pass-catching corps. The Bucs’ offense will be further bolstered by running backs Rachaad White and standout sophomore Bucky Irving. With stars leading the defense, analysts like Pat McAfee see legitimate Super Bowl potential for Tampa Bay.

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