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Tom Brady never wanted to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. Instead, Brady wanted to be traded to the Miami Dolphins, and become a minority owner in a package deal of sorts with former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton also headed to South Beach.
NFL Insider Details Brady’s Reported Plan to Join the Dolphins
Florio recently detailed the future Hall-of-Famer’s reported plan, but also explained the series of events that spoiled Brady’s planned exodus from Tampa Bay.
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“When Tom Brady retired on February 1, his next move already was coming into focus,” Florio wrote. “Per multiple sources, Brady eventually would have been introduced as a minority owner of the Dolphins. The announcement would have been made as soon as the following week, which was the week that preceded the Super Bowl.”
Brady owning a Patriots rival might have been the final nail in the heart of the fanbase that once adored him. It would also have signaled an ongoing battle between him and his former head coach Bill Belichick. According to Florio, simply becoming the minority owner wasn’t Brady’s endgame.
The Dolphins admitted “privately” that they had expressed an interest in hiring Payton away from the Saints. According to Florio, they’d also admitted to speaking with Brady about him becoming a minority owner, but the Brian Flores lawsuit seemed to derail things.
The Dolphins’ former head coach was dismissed despite putting together a winning record over the past two seasons, which turned out to be fuel for Flores’ anti-discrimination lawsuit against the NFL.
Florio says “the litigation resulted in the plug being pulled on the Payton/Brady plan.” How would Brady have ultimately joined the Dolphins as their starting quarterback?
“After Brady became a minority owner, the Dolphins would have indeed acquired the contractual rights to employ Payton from the Saints,” Florio wrote. “Then, the Dolphins would have at some point gotten the rights from the Buccaneers to bring Brady to the roster.”
That would have been arguably the biggest player-power move in NFL history by perhaps the only man with enough juice to pull off such a leverage flex. Brady is already the “most-hated” player in the NFL, and this might have intensified the disdain of fans all across the country.
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Is it out of the realm of possibility that Brady could still join the Dolphins? Not according to Florio.
“Even though it didn’t happen, it’s an important consideration because Brady will continue to hover as a potential addition to the Dolphins,” Florio wrote. “He has a close relationship with Bruce Beal, the right-hand man, and successor-in-waiting to Dolphins owner Stephen Ross. With Brady under contract for one more season in Tampa Bay and his deal containing a no-tag clause, Brady will be a free agent in 2023. He will be able to sign with any team he chooses.”
The list of quarterbacks who would love the chance to throw to one of the most fierce offenses (at least on paper) in the NFL is likely long. The Dolphins shored up their offensive line by adding Terron Armstead, arguably the best free agent on the market this offseason.
They also slapped the franchise tag on up-and-coming tight end Mike Gesicki while inking Cedric Wilson to a free-agent deal. In the splashiest of deals, they swung a blockbuster trade with the Kansas City Chiefs to acquire speed merchant and all-world wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
Put all that additional weaponry with 1,000-yard receiver Jaylen Waddle–who will be entering his second season in the NFL–and every quarterback should be at least intrigued about the opportunity to toss the ball to Miami’s collection of horses.
How would all of this make the two guys who might be out of a job feel?
What’s Up With Mike McDaniel and Tua Tagovailoa?
Can the Dolphins’ recently hired head coach Mike McDaniel feel secure in his position if he believes the reports that the organization wanted Payton in his position? Even more, can the Dolphins’ current starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa feel comfortable as the starter–especially considering he’s had an up-and-down career thus far?
The answer is no for Tagovailoa.
He should have felt a bit shaky even without the threat of Brady joining the organization. While Tagovailoa has posted a 13-8 QB record in two seasons with the Dolphins, there are still those who question if he is suited to lead such a powerful offense. Pro Football Talk’s Chris Simms and Florio answer that question in the video below:
If the Dolphins are able to get their hands on Brady any time over the next two years, just about anyone is going to be ousted from the QB1 spot, and that includes Tagovailoa. He’d had to display one of the greatest turnarounds in NFL history in 2022 to avoid that fate.
As for McDaniels, he might not be in as much danger. The Dolphins probably won’t want to remove him if the team performs well in 2022. Considering the level of talent on the squad, that is at least a solid possibility. However, would Brady actually want to play for anyone besides the guy he may have handpicked as his next head coach?
Perhaps we’ll get an opportunity to find out over the next year or so.
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