Getty Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady.
The future of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady has been a popular topic of conversation during the 2022 NFL season. Trade scenarios, a potential return to the New England Patriots and a second retirement have all been speculated upon in recent weeks.
One speculative scenario comes from Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who reported on December 27 that the “worst-kept secret” across the league are rumors of a possible team-up involving Brady joining forces with Super Bowl-winning head coach Sean Payton in the city of New Orleans with the Saints.
Florio said his source ruled out a Payton return to coaching for open positions at the Denver Broncos or Carolina Panthers, both of which have interim head coaches for the rest of the season.
As the coaching carousel prepares to spin, there’s increasing chatter in league circles about Sean Payton returning to the Saints — possibly with Tom Brady at QB. t.co/nFqZx8Hn0d
Brady & Payton Rumors Started in Miami
The Miami Dolphins faced league-imposed discipline in August 2022 in the form of losing two draft picks and a $1.5 million dollar fine following an independent investigation stemming from former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL. The six-month investigation concluded that the team violated the league’s anti-tampering policy by having “impermissible communications” with both Brady and Payton (through his agent, Don Yee).
The investigation findings did not please NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who said in a statement, “I know of no prior instance of a team violating the prohibition on tampering with both a head coach and star player, to the potential detriment of multiple other clubs, over a period of several years. Similarly, I know of no prior instance in which ownership was so directly involved in the violations.”
The findings of impermissible communications between the Dolphins and Brady dated back to as early as August 2019, while he was still under contract with the New England Patriots, and December of 2021, while he was a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Are the Saints Truly Committed to Dennis Allen for 2023 if Payton Is Open to Returning?
The speculation gets a bit murky in light of a December 27 report from WVUE’s Jeff Duncan, who wrote that his sources are saying Allen’s job is “safe” heading into the upcoming 2023 season.
However, a lot can change when the coaching carousel begins at the conclusion of the 2022 regular season.
The Saints’ record currently sits at 6-9, and Allen’s record as a head coach in the NFL is 14-37.
Brady is set to become a free agent in March, and Payton is likely to draw a lot of interest from any team with a head coaching vacancy this offseason.
If Brady and Payton are open to joining forces in the Big Easy, it may be tough for Saints’ ownership to stick with Allen for another season.