Getty Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady was close to joining the Dolphins, according to Mike Florio.
During his brief retirement, Tom Brady was linked to several NFL teams that were not named the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. During the Bucs minicamp, Brady made his first team appearance since un-retiring in March.
The Buccaneers quarterback was asked if he considered joining the Dolphins in any capacity as several offseason rumors indicated. Brady did not deny that he had discussions with Miami but spoke in general terms about having “a lot of conversations with a lot of people.”
“Again, I had a lot of conversations with a lot of people, as I’ve had with the last three or four years in my career about different opportunities when I’m done playing football, so,” Brady said during a June 9, 2022 press conference. “I kind of made a decision of what I’d like to do, and I’ll get to be in the game of football. And I think for me, the most important thing is where I’m at now and what I hope to do for this team. That’s been my commitment to this team and organization. It’s been so much fun for me to come here two years ago. It’s been almost two and a half years now, and it’s been an incredible part of my football journey.
“And it’s not over, we still got a lot to accomplish, so. I’ve got a long life ahead. There’s a lot of fun things to do ahead. I’m looking forward to what’s ahead in football, but at the same time, none of us are promised much beyond what we have now. And this is the current moment and I’m really excited about going out there to try to compete and win a championship.”
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The Bucs & Dolphins Had Discussions About a Brady Trade: Report
Tom Brady did not directly refute reports he explored opportunities with the Miami Dolphins but says he looked at a lot of things and is excited about trying to win a championship with the Bucs.
Brady had been linked to the Dolphins in both an ownership role as well as potentially attempting to push his way to Miami to play quarterback. The NFL superstar has one year remaining on his contract, and the Buccaneers would have had to trade Brady for him to be able to play anywhere other than Tampa in 2022. NBC Sports’ Chris Simms reported that the Dolphins were prepared to make a deal with the Bucs prior to the Brian Flores’ lawsuit bringing things to a halt.
“I was led to believe that it [had] already been talked about,” Simms explained during an April 22 interview on “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz.” “They were going to trade a second-round pick to Tampa Bay to get Brady. They [Buccaneers] weren’t going to hold him hostage.
“Sean Payton and the Saints, that was going to be a first-round pick to get that deal done. And yes, the way I was told, Sean Payton head coach, Brady, Bruce Beal, part owner. Gonna give him a little time, ‘Oh yeah, I retired, but oh wait, I changed my mind. This Dolphins thing’s so good.’ And then come back and play with the Dolphins. That was what the plan was. That’s where the stars were trying to be aligned by Brady and Sean Payton and, of course, it got upset by that [Flores lawsuit].”
Brady on Retirement Decision: ‘I Feel Like It’s Kind of Moved Past That Point’
Despite Brady rejoining the Buccaneers in March, nearly three months went by without the quarterback meeting with the media except for his appearances related to The Match golf tournament. Brady declined to go into details about what went into his change of heart about playing football, instead noting his decision “feels like a long time ago.”
“It’s a good question, it feels like a long time ago, lots happened between now and then,” Brady remarked. “Yeah, it’s just a lot of different things so it was a while ago. I feel like it’s kind of moved past that point, to be honest, but I’m happy I’m back. Happy I’m back with my teammates, and it’s gonna be a great year. Gonna work really hard, we have high expectations for what we’re trying to accomplish, so. Got a lot of good players.”