Tom Brady joining the Miami Dolphins shouldn’t be ruled out

2022 is all about Tua Tagovailoa but there that could change during the 2023 off-season if Tom Brady wants to join the Miami Dolphins.

Tom Brady spoke with Tamp Bay media recently and didn’t confirm nor deny interest between him and the Dolphins or vice versa and that leaves a crack in the “door of possibility”. Like him or not, respect him or not, Tom Brady isn’t aging.

Brady has $375 million worth of reasons to retire next year. His 10-year contract with FOX Sports will begin when he retires from the NFL but no one knows when that will be. Brady’s retirement this past year may have just been an attempt to force a trade from the Buccaneers to Miami, a trade that was squashed when Brian Flores filed his lawsuit.

When asked directly about an interest in the Dolphins, Brady didn’t answer the question, he skirted it. That has many believing that his flirtation with Miami isn’t over. For some reason, the Dolphins are a big priority for him, apparently.

Perhaps it is the chance to play the Patriots twice each year. A driving force to one-up Bill Belichick. The Dolphins reportedly were willing to offer part ownership in the team as well. That is hard for any professional athlete to turn down, even with a mega-deal waiting in the wings.

In reality, right now, Brady is in Tampa but this isn’t going to summarily go away. Fast forward to the 2023 off-season and we could see the Dolphins making a move. Why? Here are some of the reasons.

Tua Tagovailoa fails in 2022 and the Dolphins realize they made a mistake.

• This is the right season to keep Tua at quarterback. While there is a completely new regime on offense, there is more consistency already on that side of the ball than there was in three seasons with Brian Flores.
• Tua has a supportive coaching staff, a well-respected quarterback coach that will help him further develop, an actual offensive system, more weapons, and a better offensive line. In other words, there are fewer excuses this year.
• If Tua can’t lead this team and consistently makes mistakes, the Dolphins will need to turn from him and move on. They have two first-round draft picks next year and Tua will have completed his 3rd NFL season. It is very possible that Tua stick around for a 4th and be forced to compete for his job with either a rookie or Tom Brady.

Tom Brady’s window in the NFL is closing and he knows it.

• For Tom Brady, any shot at playing for the Dolphins will need to come in 2023 or it will have to be something that he puts away for good. The Dolphins have almost all the tools to win but the QB and offensive line are the bigger questions. Tom Brady answers one of those.
• The FOX Sports deal is on the table and it is signed but there is no rush for Brady to jump to the booth. His love is for football and his desire to play for the Dolphins is real. If it were not, he would have silenced the talk during his interview.
• Tom Brady wants to play for Miami. His reasons are his own. Is it his friendship with Stephen Ross? The two are Michigan alumni and they have a good personal base.

Stephen Ross wants to win before he sells the team and that is not something new.

• The attempted trade for Deshaun Watson came down to one thing, Ross’ desire to win football games but more importantly to win the Super Bowl. If there was any good news, his desire to win was held in check by his desire to not create more controversy in Miami. Whether by design or by happenstance, Miami avoided a major fallout by not trading for Watson.
• Ross’ attempt to fix the QB situation is not new. If the reports of him trying to land Brady in 2019 are true, he has been working to get that position fixed for some time and believes that his team in only a proven QB away.
• The future of the Dolphins isn’t clear but Ross’ hold on the franchise isn’t going to last another 10 years. Ross is 82 years old and he knows that like Brady’s playing career, Ross’ ownership window is also coming to a close.
• Tom Brady gives the Dolphins and Ross the best chance to compete immediately for a Super Bowl but that window too will close sooner rather than later. While the Dolphins are building a competitive team, Tom Brady isn’t going to play another 10 years either.

Time is now the issue for everyone involved and it is ticking faster and faster.

• Tom Brady will is 44 years old
• Stephen Ross is 82
• Tua Tagovailoa has to prove he can be an NFL QB this year.

2022 belongs to Tua Tagovailoa. It is his time to shine and prove all the doubters wrong but more importantly to show Chris Grier and Stephen Ross that they were right. If he can’t do that, this year, the Dolphins will have little choice but to turn somewhere else, likely to Brady, in the hopes of changing it all. Tua doesn’t have to win a Super Bowl, he just needs to prove that he can win and lead the team in the future. If he can’t, we will be talking about Tom Brady for another off-season.