Tom Brady tortured the Patriots from afar over the last two seasons, dominating in Tampa Bay while New England tried to remake its identity.
Imagine how bad it would’ve been if Brady was still in the division.
The Dolphins tried to make that nightmare happen, according to ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio. He reports Miami was interested in pursuing Brady to play quarterback next season, before Brian Flores’ lawsuit derailed the organization’s plans.
Florio also says the Dolphins wanted to interview Sean Payton for their head coaching vacancy, but the Saints denied their request. Payton resigned on Jan. 25.
For now, the idea of Payton winding up in Miami appears to be dead. The Dolphins hired former 49ers hot-shot offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel as their new head coach, and he’ll probably receive ample time at the helm, especially in the wake of Flores’ contentious dismissal. But that doesn’t preclude the Dolphins from revisiting their interest in Brady. As Florio mentions, there’s a growing belief around the NFL he could return as soon as 2022.
The Dolphins already beat the Patriots twice last season, despite the overwhelmed Tua Tagovailoa standing under center. Brady, who led the NFL in every significant passing category last year, would propel the Dolphins to surefire postseason contention.
He would also probably ensure the Patriots’ agonizing trips to South Florida continue. The Dolphins have the most cap room in the NFL this offseason (roughly $75 million). They could surround Brady with another super team, ala the Buccaneers.
The Dolphins have apparently been surreptitiously pursuing Brady for two years. There’s ample reason to believe he was the unnamed quarterback whom Stephen Ross wanted Flores to meet on his yacht in 2020. But Miami doesn’t only want Brady as a player. The franchise is also chasing Brady’s brand.
When Brady decides he’s retired for good — either this year or sometime down the line — the Dolphins could consider adding him as a minority owner, Florio reports. Brady is friends with limited partner Bruce Beal, who’s poised to eventually purchase the team from Ross. That moment could come sooner rather than later if Flores’ claims about being offered $100,000 per loss are accurate.
It’s easy to see how minority ownership in an NFL franchise would be attractive to Brady, just like owning an MLB team appealed to his good pal Derek Jeter. There is a high level of social clout that comes along with being an NFL owner. It’s a great asset for any mogul to feature in his expanding portfolio. As a new South Florida resident — Brady and Gisele just bought a $17 million home on Miami’s so-called “Billionaire Bunker” — it would make a lot of sense for Brady to get involved in the Dolphins’ ownership.
There’s also the revenge factor. The opportunity to indefinitely torture the Patriots is probably appealing to Brady. Even as a minority owner, Brady would almost certainly boost the Dolphins’ standing. The idea of Brady being linked to the Dolphins for years to come, and not the Patriots, would also probably torment Robert Kraft.
The Patriots received ample opportunity to link up with Brady for life. But they declined, and now, Brady seemingly isn’t heading back for any post-career makeup calls.
Just imagine Brady beating the Patriots on the field in 2022 and at the negotiating table for years to come. The Patriots have avoided that nightmare for now, but training camp is still a long ways away.
