NEWSLETTER
Here we go again. We’re just – what? – a month from Tom Brady calling it a career? And, of course, there’s already chatter about a return to the NFL.
On his Monday episode of the Rich Eisen Show, NFL Media’s Rich Eisen said he heard “from multiple people” that Tom Brady may not be done after all. Eisen said that the one place that people he spoke to are pointing to as a landing spot for Brady is Miami.
Ugh. Ok. Before we discuss. Here’s the full quote from Eisen:
“This one just blew my mind; Tom Brady may not be done after all,” Eisen said. “Let it play out. Let’s see who wants what. And the one place that folks are saying to keep an eye out for is Miami. If the Dolphins, somehow, some way, get a doctor’s report, a piece of medical information on Tua [Tagovailoa] that he may not be ready to go, then suddenly there’s Tom Brady sitting in Florida where his family is located, and he can easily locate himself. So keep an eye on that, I was told by a couple of birdies at the combine.”
Sweet Jesus. Look, I like Tom Brady. I gushed about his career’s impact on my life as a football fan while on a flight to Vegas to cover the Pro Bowl. However, this is getting annoying. I’m retiring. Wait, no, I’m not. Oh, now I am. But wait … Stop it already.
I’m all for doing what makes you happy. But this guy has to decide and stick with it at some point, right? I guess he doesn’t have to. That is why we’re back to discussing the possibility of a return to football for Brady.
So, Eisen says that multiple people have told him to keep an eye on Miami. Specifically, if Miami gets word from medical professionals that Tua may not be ready to go in 2023. This tracks with a report by CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson last week. Anderson said Miami continues to linger on its decision to exercise its fifth-year option on Tagovailoa. Furthermore, Anderson said that the Dolphins are exploring all of their options at quarterback, including moving on from Tua.
“Even though the reports were coming out at the end of the season that experts expect Tua to be 100 percent by the time that football comes, league sources have told me that there are members of the Dolphins who are aware that the team is exploring all of their options at quarterback, including potentially moving in a different direction from Tua.”
For those keeping score, we’ve got multiple people telling Rich Eisen and Josina Anders (at least) that the Dolphins are at least doing their due diligence on Tua’s immediate and long-term health. Additionally, multiple people have told Eisen that Brady could be a name to watch in Miami. Especially if the Dolphins aren’t happy with the medical reports on Tua.
If the Dolphins do not exercise their fifth-year option on Tua by May 1 deadline, this theory could begin to gain traction. Not exercising the option and not extending Tua would create a reasonable doubt that Miami believes in him long-term.
This is not the first time Brady and the Dolphins have been linked. They were connected to him in 2020 and 2022. The Dolphins were even busted for tampering with him. Dolphins’ owner Stephen Ross loves himself some Tom Brady. Maybe he finally gets his way.
But let’s do ourselves a favor and table this whole thing until we see how the Dolphins handle Tua’s looming fifth-year option decision. In the end, this could be nothing. But never say never when it comes to Tom Brady’s desire to be on a football field. We know better.
