It really seems like Tom Brady was close to joining the Dolphins. The Boston Globe’s Ben Volin wrote a wide-ranging story Friday outlining the timeline of the move that would’ve rocked the NFL — and especially the AFC East.
On Thursday, ProFootballlTalk’s Mike Florio reported the Dolphins were prepared to announce Brady as a minority owner one week before the Super Bowl. Brady “retired” from the Buccaneers on Feb. 1.
But hours later, Brian Flores filed his racial discrimination lawsuit against the Dolphins, which apparently torpedoed their plans. Volin reports the suit introduced the issue of cellphones and discovery to Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and Brady. Given Brady’s history with the two — Deflategate! — it’s unsurprising he seemingly decided to pass.
The other part of Miami’s coup included hiring Sean Payton as its new head coach. The idea of bringing aboard a white head coach and white team president without properly satisfying the Rooney Rule no longer seemed plausible.
When the Dolphins situation blew up, Volin reports that Brady’s trip to the United Kingdom March 12 to take in a Manchester United soccer match was about mending fences with the Glazer family, which also owns the Bucs. Brady announced he was coming back to Tampa Bay the next day, allowing the Bucs to use him as a recruiting tool in free agency.
A couple of weeks later, Bruce Arians resigned as head coach. In the immediate aftermath of Brady’s temporary retirement, former Patriots offensive lineman Rich Ohrnberger tweeted that Brady’s relationship with Arians had soured. Volin writes that Ohrnberger is close with Bucs assistant coach A.Q. Shipley, lending credence to his reporting.
Despite all of that, Brady will be back in Tampa Bay this season, and will probably receive a raise. He’s due to earn $10.4 million, plus $4.5 million in incentives.
But that won’t be the end of the saga. Brady’s contract expires at the end of the season, and assuming he doesn’t sign an extension, the speculation will begin all over again.
