The Miami Dolphins seemed to find the perfect coach for Tua Tagovailoa when they hired Mike McDaniel, but that does not necessarily mean they would pass up an opportunity to pursue arguably the greatest quarterback in NFL history.
Tom Brady was linked to the Dolphins last offseason at around the time he briefly retired. The rumor at the time was that owner Stephen Ross was trying to execute a plan to bring both Brady and former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton to Miami. The plan supposedly fell apart after Brian Flores filed a discrimination lawsuit against the Dolphins and the NFL.
The NFL determined that the Dolphins did, in fact, have impermissible communications with Brady and Payton. Miami was hit with significant tampering penalties during the offseason.
Brady’s contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers expires at the end of the season. He has not yet said whether he will continue to play, but Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported on Thursday that the Dolphins remain interested in the 45-year-old quarterback. One source told Florio that the possibility of Brady winding up in Miami is “definitely on the table.”
The original report, which also came from Florio, claimed the Dolphins had been trying to sell Brady on the idea of becoming a player and part-owner of the franchise. Brady is friends with Bruce Beal, who is a limited partner with the Dolphins. There have been rumblings that Beal could eventually buy the team from Ross.
Like Brady, Ross is a Michigan alum. Ross is the university’s biggest donor.
If the Dolphins view Tagovailoa as a franchise quarterback, it would not make much sense for them to acquire Brady. Though, it is conceivable that Miami would want to make a run with Brady in 2023 while Tagovailoa sits on the bench, especially with all the concussions the former Alabama star suffered this season.
We have already heard of at least one other AFC team that plans to make a strong push to recruit Brady. There will be plenty of others if Brady decides to keep playing.
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