Seeing Tom Brady twice a year with a division rival would be a miserable experience for Patriots fans. Fortunately, it appears one of those rivals can be crossed off the list of potential suitors this offseason.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sunday morning that the Miami Dolphins "are not expected to pursue" Brady even if the GOAT decides he wants to continue playing.
The Dolphins had been linked to Brady in the past and were punished by the NFL last year when an investigation determined that they tampered with Brady on three occasions between 2019 and 2022. Miami will not have a first-round pick in April's draft as a result.
Nothing in the NFL's disciplinary action prevented them from pursuing Brady, a pending free agent, this offseason. But according to Schefter's sources, the Dolphins are now "committed to Tua Tagovailoa as their starting quarterback for 2023."
Tagovailoa put up good numbers when healthy this season (3,548 yards, 25 touchdowns, eight interceptions, 105.5 passer rating in 13 games), but he also missed five games in concussion protocol, including Miami's playoff loss to Buffalo. That at least raised the possibility of the Dolphins having doubts about his future and potentially revisiting the Brady path.
Brady, who would be 46 when next season starts, made it clear this week that he hasn't made any decisions regarding his future yet. He is coming off a season in which he attempted a league-leading 733 passes, completing 66.8% of them for 4,694 yards, 25 touchdowns, nine interceptions and a 90.7 passer rating. The Buccaneers made the playoffs, but with a record of just 8-9. They got blown out in the Wild Card round by the Cowboys.
Another AFC East team, the New York Jets, probably can't be ruled out as a Brady suitor given their desperate search for QB help. Other teams that have popped up in rumors include the Las Vegas Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers.
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