Getty The rumors about Tom Brady will not go away.
The rumors continue to connect Tom Brady to discussions with the Miami Dolphins during his mini-retirement tour away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. During an April 22, 2022 interview on “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz,” NBC Sports’ Chris Simms reported that the Dolphins planned to trade a second-round selection to the Buccaneers for Brady.
If the quarterback was able to get NFL approval, Simms suggested Brady would have had an ownership stake in the Dolphins while also coming out of retirement to be the team’s QB1. The analyst cited the Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the Dolphins as the main reason Brady did not join Miami.
Simms added that despite the Bucs’ public posturing, the front office was not “going to hold him hostage” if Brady’s desire was to play for another team. Miami was also prepared to trade the Saints a first-round selection to allow Sean Payton to become the team’s new head coach, per Simms.
“I was led to believe that it [had] already been talked about,” Simms explained. “They were going to trade a second-round pick to Tampa Bay to get Brady. They 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].”
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Tampa Bay ‘Vehemently Deny’ That the Team Had Any Trade Talks With Miami
Unless Brady reveals the details in a tell-all documentary down the road, we may never know the full story behind the quarterback’s brief retirement. Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud reported that the Bucs “vehemently deny” that the team had any discussions with the Dolphins about a Brady trade.
“Love Chris Simms but Bucs vehemently deny they had even ONE discussion with Dolphins about Tom Brady,” Stroud tweeted on April 23. “Also claim they did not contact Texans about Deshaun Watson or his reps. Chris Simms says Dolphins offered 2nd-rounder for Tom Brady.”
Simms also added that Brady’s return to the Bucs was jumpstarted by the team contacting the legendary quarterback letting him know they were going to start pursuing other options.
Arians on Brady Trade Rumors: ‘I’m Not Trading the Best Quarterback Ever’
Back when Bruce Arians was still the head coach and Brady was retired, the Bucs head man shot down the notion that Tampa would help facilitate a trade for Brady to another team. Brady would go on to un-retire while Arians stepped down as head coach in favor of a front office advisory role.
“Nope. Bad business,” Arians told NFL Network during a March 1 interview. “I’m not trading the best quarterback ever.”
Arians joked that the Buccaneers would be looking for five first-round draft picks before the team would even consider a Brady deal. The then-Bucs coach was asked if there was anything that would get the franchise to change their stance on trading Brady.
“Five No. 1s, maybe, maybe” Arians joked during his March 1 press conference during the NFL Combine. “…No, not at all. We’ll play golf, if I beat him, he has to come back.”
Whatever might have happened, Brady is slated to be the Buccaneers quarterback for 2022. Simms predicts that Brady will retire at the end of the season but maintains he had a desire to join the Dolphins before the Flores’ lawsuit.