Getty Tom Brady could stay in-state for 2023 but not with the Buccaneers.
If Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady leaves in 2023, he may not go far away.
That’s the way NFL analyst Colin Cowherd of FOX Sports sees it. Cowherd pegged the Miami Dolphins as the team with the “perfect system for Brady”. Set for free agency in 2023, and rumors of Brady’s next destination has rippled for weeks.
“There’s an obvious one for Tom Brady and that’s San Francisco… He will, if offered, take the Niners job,” Cowherd said on his show via FOX Sports Radio’s transcription. “He will consider the Raiders… But nobody is talking about the Miami Dolphins.”
Tom Brady…back to the AFC?
“Nobody is talking about the Miami Dolphins.” — @ColinCowherd
“Folks, fastest wide receiver tandem maybe in league history [is there],” Cowherd added regarding the Dolphins. “Jaylen Waddle is a star, Tyreek Hill is maybe a bigger star, capable running backs, Mike Gesicki is an excellent young tight end, Hall of Fame level left tackle, a brilliant offensive coach that runs the same system Kyle Shanahan does which is not quarterback-dependent. Take a snap, three steps, get it out, read the defense… It is a perfect system for Brady.”
It’s not the first time for Brady getting linked to the Dolphins. Last offseason, Brady got linked to the Dolphins amid rumors of making a move for minority ownership and playing for the team. The Dolphins then got caught for tampering with Brady when former head coach Brian Flores revealed relevant texts in a lawsuit over discrimination in hiring practices.
“The Dolphins already had to give up a pick for tampering, you might as well get something out of it,” Cowherd continued. “They were interested before in Brady, he stays in the state, he stays on the East Coast.”
Brady has a home in Miami, and two of his children, Vivian and Benjamin, live there part-time. Their mother, Gisele Bundchen, lives nearby Brady’s home.
Dolphins May Need a New QB Amid Tua’s Concussions
On the field, Miami has a conundrum with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffering a second concussion this season in addition to head and neck injuries in September. Brady hypothetically could take the starting job with Tagovailoa’s health and future in doubt.
“Miami feels really strong — left tackle, offensive coach, lots of weapons, an organization he’s played… The Jets don’t have their quarterback and New England has an average one,” Cowherd said via FOX Sports Radio’s transcription. “He looks at that division and goes. ‘All I have to do is beat Josh Allen.’ He’s already beat [Patrick] Mahomes in a Super Bowl. Wouldn’t it be great if he goes to Miami with the wide receiver tandem and can say ‘I beat Mahomes in his prime, I beat Allen in his prime, and [Joe] Burrow couldn’t get past me?'”
Miami doesn’t have a great salary cap situation for 2023 though with $6.7 million over the cap per Spotrac. The Dolphins — and any team interested in Brady — may have to sign Rob Gronkowski, too, amid his tacit interest in joining Brady in 2023.
Bucs Still in Running for Brady
Despite the rumors of Brady going elsewhere, the Bucs could re-sign him in 2023. Both former head coach Bruce Arians and an “unnamed Bucs team source” indicated that Brady really could stay, per JoeBucsFan.com.
For now, Brady remains focused on the Carolina Panthers in an NFC South Division title showdown on January 1.