if it’s one thing an NFL team doesn’t want to do, it is turn down a seven-time Super Bowl winner in the Draft. But that’s what exactly happened when Tom Brady was brutally snubbed by a major NFL franchise early in his career.
Of course, back in 2000, the San Francisco 49ers had no idea just how big an error they were making when they overlooked Brady as he was only 22 at the time. They were not alone either, with 30 other NFL teams passing up on the chance to snap up the budding quarterback before Brady before the Patriots took a chance late in the Draft.
Brady grew up in the Bay Area of California, cheering for the 49ers as the Michigan quarterback set his sights on making it as a pro. But to his dismay, his local team turned him down not once, twice or even three times – but six throughout the course of his career.That memory from the 2000 NFL Draft has stuck with him ever since, and ensured he would never cheer on the NFC West team ever again.
“They passed on me six times in the NFL Draft, so f*** them and that whole staff that kept me out,” Brady said on his podcast.”I had a chip on my shoulder for a long time.”The American bounced back and carved out a trophy-laden career with the New England Patriots before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, earning seven Super Bowl rings.Tom Brady is now retired after hanging up his cleats at the end of the 2023 season, despite constant speculation suggesting the 46-year-old was in line for a shock comeback.
Instead, he is residing in Miami and set to enter NFL broadcasting, signing a mega-money deal with Fox Sports, meaning he will be taking on an entirely new role as their lead analyst.It will be interesting to note how he speaks about the 49ers after he was wronged by them, although they wouldn’t be the first team to fall foul of the star quarterback.During his career, Brady had plenty of rivals including the Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints. But it seems his hate still burns strong for the San Franscisco team.