Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk continues to beat the Tom Brady-to-Miami drum. In January 2020, just weeks before Brady was set to hit free agency and perhaps join an organization other than the Patriots for the first time in his two-decade career, Florio wrote that the Dolphins were the team that was generating the most buzz with respect to a Brady signing. Even then, the PFT creator reported that there was talk of Brady also becoming a minority owner of the ‘Fins.
In February 2022, Florio wrote that Miami hoped to hire former Saints head coach Sean Payton as its new HC this year, and that the club also planned to go after Brady and install him as the starting quarterback. Then, Brian Flores, who was fired as the Dolphins’ head coach in January, filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the team, also naming the Giants and Broncos as defendants. According to Florio, the suit forced the Dolphins to scrap the Payton/Brady plan, and Brady announced his retirement on the same day the suit was filed.
Several days ago, Florio reported that Brady was indeed “very close” to joining the Dolphins, and that he would have first done so as a minority owner (other reporters have echoed the sentiment that Brady may want to own a part of the franchise). At that point, the Dolphins would have acquired Payton’s rights from the Saints and Brady’s rights from the Buccaneers and would have had the enviable HC-QB tandem they were seeking all along. Of course, it may not have been so simple; Florio acknowledged in his February 2022 piece that New Orleans declined Miami’s request to talk to Payton, even after Payton elected to step away from the Saints. Dolphins GM Chris Grier confirmed as much, and Payton himself said he would probably not have been interested in the Miami gig.
If Florio is accurate, however, this could all resurface in 2023. When discussing the ownership component of these rumors, Florio continues to emphasize Brady’s close relationship with Bruce Beal, who is Dolphins owner Stephen Ross‘ right-hand man. As far as Brady the player is concerned, it’s worth noting that one of Flores’ allegations in his suit is that Ross wanted Flores to recruit a “prominent quarterback” — generally believed to be Brady — at the end of the 2019 season, which would have contravened the league’s tampering rules.
So, if Brady wants to continue his playing career next year but wants to leave the Bucs — Florio remains adamant that Brady’s “retirement” was simply an attempt to leave Tampa and that he only circled back to the team after it became clear he would not be able to join the Dolphins or 49ers — then perhaps Ross will throw his hat in the ring again, depending on how Tua Tagovailoa performs in 2022. And, regardless of whether Brady ever plays his home games in South Beach, it at least seems like a strong possibility that he could one day own a piece of the Dolphins.
With Mike McDaniel having just been hired as Miami’s HC, it is perhaps less likely that Ross & Co. will seek to woo Payton next year, but given Ross’ history of seeking high-profile candidates for his head coaching post, such a pursuit probably should not be ruled out.
Florio is a trash can insider.
Just keep playing. Just 1 year deal it until your 55 Tom. Give the league the Oprah treatment. You get a Super Bowl, You get a Super Bowl, You all get a Super Bowl!!!
In all seriousness. Tom doesn’t really have the arm for Tyreke. He’d probably be good on the 49ers tho with Deebo.
But if you said Tua and a 1st next year for Tom. Do the Bucs say no? Bc you could designate it as a Post-June 1 and they’d save 12M on the cap this season. And your thought is that 1st will be 32nd overall.
Tom is an UFA at the end of the season and cannot be franchise tagged
If they wanted him this year it’s a trade.
I know this is a rumors site, but jeez, there is more unverifiable innuendo and “quotes” in here than a small town quilting bee.
These Dolphins “plans” give me less respect for their franchise. I didn’t think that was possible.
Florio loves to start drama. At this point, if he reported that the sky was blue, I’d be skeptical.
Brady’s retirement was a scam. He had no plans on not playing this year. I believe this story.
Florio is the ultimate fake news of the NFL. No facts are better than a story for him. It’s pretty gross that anyone even cites him at this point. All about pushing his personal narratives.
Mike Florio is a complete moron of epic proportions
I am skeptical of any of the Sean Payton aspects of this story. As for Brady – he has no ethics and would likely do pretty much anything in order to end up in a situation that better suits him.
More “What Ifs?” than Marvel.
Add me to the “why does anyone bother quoting Florio” list. He rants and rails about anonymous sources, and yet uses them more than literally anyone else I’ve ever read. He’s a hypocritical, self-centered, conceited, irrelevant drama queen who only pushes his personal beliefs with football itself as a backdrop. If NBC didn’t mindlessly select him to be their personal football correspondent (which shows how much NBC executives know about football), Florio wouldn’t have access to anything and be just as invisible as the named players and executives seem to treat him.
This might be true, but I still feel like the headline should read, “alleged pursuit.”