Tom Brady may be the greatest winner in NFL history and a future first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, but if the Madden video game franchise compiled ratings for “subtlety,” his would be a zero.
Brady’s failed coup of the Dolphins, trying—and subsequently failing—to become the NFL’s first player/owner, left little doubt about the 44-year-old’s intentions. Heading into the final year of his Bucs contract (following a sham 40-day retirement that nobody, least of all Brady, believed for one second), the seven-time Super Bowl champ appears to be searching for an exit ramp, counting down the days until the Dolphins inevitably make him their starting quarterback.
Brady’s ties to principal owner Stephen Ross, a fellow Michigan alum, are well-documented with many seeing his defection to the Dolphins in next year’s free agency as a foregone conclusion. That includes one NFL executive, who took it a step further, suggesting that, along with a new franchise quarterback under center, the Dolphins could also have a new coach on their sideline in 2023.
“If this team does not make the playoffs, I see Miami doing two things. They will trade for an established quarterback and they will also be back in the big-fish game for a head coach,” the exec told Mike Sando of The Athletic. “If Tom Brady does not redo his contract, it does not take a rocket scientist to know that Brady and Sean are going to be in Miami next year.”
GM Chris Grier confirmed his interest in Payton earlier this offseason, though after their interview request was denied by the Saints, the Dolphins would ultimately pivot to former 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. Payton “retired” from the Saints in January, though many suspect he’ll be back in the NFL as soon as next season with Miami and Dallas (he served as a Cowboys assistant under Bill Parcells from 2003-05) each floated as potential landing spots.
As evidenced by their recent acquisitions of Tyreek Hill and Terron Armstead, the Dolphins, after years of disappointment in a division traditionally dominated by the Patriots (and, more recently, Buffalo), are clearly thinking bigger. Of course, replacing McDaniel—a Kyle Shanahan protégé regarded by many as an offensive mastermind—after only a year on the job could invite criticism, particularly following a messy breakup with Brian Flores earlier this offseason.
Remember, these are merely the musings of a single executive speaking on the condition of anonymity. We’re still very much in the dot-connecting phase of the Brady/Payton rumors, though if you’re a believer in the old adage “where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” Miami may as well be the Vatican after a new pope has been elected.
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