Are the rumors true? Image: AP
There are rumors now that this blazing fire of the NFL offseason could turn into hell. According to New England Sports Network’s Dale Arnold, there is a very real possibility that Tom Brady will spend the 2022 season not with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but with another Florida team a little further south.
Keep in mind that two seasons ago, Arnold was the first to violate Tom Brady’s decision to join Tampa Bay. This prompted some NFL fans to take the above tweet quite seriously.
The meaning of the tweet was expanded upon during a WEEI radio broadcast called Merloni & Fauria. One host claimed that he texted Arnold asking for clarification, to which Arnold replied that the Bucs and Dolphins were both working on a deal right now, but it was still unclear if a deal would be reached.
It comes just two days after the Dolphins sent the Kansas City Chiefs five picks, including a 2022 first round pick, in exchange for star wide receiver Tyreke Hill. Perhaps this is why Brady suddenly became interested in dolphins, if Arnold is telling the truth. They now have one of the best receiver hulls in the league, and Hill is arguably the most explosive receiver Brady has worked with since Randy Moss. Additionally, prior to Brady’s announcement that he would return to the Buccaneers in 2022, Miami was a hotspot for rumors revolving around the seven-time Super Bowl champion. Earlier this year, the Brady family purchased a home on Miami’s exclusive Indian Creek Island. It would make sense if Brady wanted to spend more time with his family, and although Miami and Tampa are not very far apart, they are still four and a half hours away.
Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians previously expressed his appreciation for Dolphins starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. After Tua was drafted in 2020, the Arians stated that Tagovailoa should be the Dolphins’ starter if he is healthy. The Arians further compared Tua’s situation to his time with Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck and Ben Roethlisberger. While Arian has never explicitly said that he likes Tagovailoa as a potential client, it’s hard to imagine a situation where Tagovailoa isn’t part of the Brady deal if the deal rumors are true. Add to that the fact that one of Tom Brady’s best friends, tight end Rob Gronkowski, hasn’t signed a new contract with the Buccaneers despite Brady coming out of retirement almost two weeks ago, and you’ve got a sharp rumor with some real teeth. .
However, there are still a few holes in this theory. For one, for a report from The Athletic, Brady is still actively recruiting free agents to join him in Tampa Bay. Why would he do this if he planned to spend 2022 in Miami? In early March, Arians stated that it would take either team five first-round picks to acquire Brady in a trade. Dolphins don’t have that kind of capital. While the team has two first-round picks in 2023, they have none this year, and it’s hard to imagine Arians & Co. want to part ways with Brady if they can’t acquire something that will help the Bucs in the near future. .
Finally, this rumor was debunked by other reporters. Jeff Howe of The Athletic stated that “nothing happens between Tom Brady and the Dolphins”.
It seems unlikely that the Bucks would decide to ditch Brady given what they’ve been able to accomplish in his two years with the team and how bad the NFC South will be next season. Even with the loss of several starting offensive linemen last season – Alex Kappa and Ali Marpet, as well as star wide receiver Chris Godwin and possibly Gronkowski – the Buccaneers are still able to compete in a weak NFC. That being said, if Brady wants to get away from Tampa, it makes perfect sense that Miami would be his preferred destination. It’s close to family, and if Brady still harbors a grudge against his former head coach Bill Belichick (highly doubtful, but hey, wild speculation is my specialty), playing for a team in his former team’s division would be a neat and effective way. return to him.
I doubt these rumors about Brady in Miami really matter. There are just too many angles that don’t make sense. That being said, it will undoubtedly be the biggest sports story in America — the third story featuring Brady this month.