Well it's Groundhog's Day ... again.
Or at least it might be.
Rich Eisen said on his show Monday (beginning at 6:30 in the clip below) that "a couple birdies" at the NFL Combine aren't entirely convinced Tom Brady is finished playing, and pointed to the Miami Dolphins as a possible landing spot:
Of course, Mike Florio and Chris Simms of Pro Football Talk were at the forefront of reporting last offseason on Brady's attempt to orchestrate a move to Miami, which would have seen him team up with Sean Payton in South Beach. Ultimately, the concept fell through when Brian Flores filed his lawsuit against the Dolphins -- among other parties -- and Brady unretired and played a third season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This time around, though, Brady's rights won't be owned by any team. On March 15, he'll technically become a free agent. He said in his retirement announcement on Feb. 1 that he was stepping away "for good" this year, and backed that up by submitting his retirement papers.
Then again, there's nothing preventing the seven-time Super Bowl Champion from going back on his word and returning to the playing field if he has a change of heart.
To this point, there's no indication Brady is wavering on his commitment to the second chapter of his life, but if he is, Miami would probably the best landing spot if he returned for a 24th season. Payton is no longer an option as he is now the head coach of the Denver Broncos, but Mike McDaniel looked the part of one of the sport's most promising offensive minds in his first season at the helm in Miami. Plus, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are one of the top wide receiving duos in the sport currently. Also, two of Brady's kids live in Miami with ex-wife Gisele Bündchen.
Signing Brady would likely require the Dolphins moving on from former No. 5 overall pick Tua Tagovailoa. While Tagovailoa was excellent when he played in his third season, he had two documented concussions, and there's reason to believe he may have actually had a third one as well. Given his lengthy injury history dating back to his time at the University of Alabama, it would be fair for the Dolphins to be hesitant to start long-term contract negotiations with Tagovailoa, or even pick up his fifth-year option. And if they do neither of those things, they would be on a year-to-year arrangement with Tagovailoa, just like they would be with Brady.