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We’re still learning more details about the rumored Tom Brady-Miami Dolphins trade that was supposed to go down this offseason.
A couple of weeks ago, the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin reported that Brady was going to force the Bucs to trade him to the Dolphins by faking his retirement, but the plan blew up when Brian Flores sued the team for racial discrimination.
so tom brady’s plan was to fake retire, become an executive with the dolphins, bring in sean payton to coach, then unretire but the brian flores lawsuit blew everything up https://t.co/YsEq5JfQJz pic.twitter.com/HkZTDRM3tm
— Brian Floyd (@BrianMFloyd) April 12, 2022
Via Boston Globe
The Dolphins’ offer was just Brady’s way of getting out of Tampa. He was under contract with the Buccaneers as a player, but they couldn’t stop him from becoming an executive. Once Brady was in Miami, and once the Buccaneers had found a replacement at quarterback, the Dolphins could have approached the Bucs about trade compensation to let Brady come out of retirement and play quarterback.
Per the league source, if Brady was going to run the Dolphins, he was going to do it only with a veteran coach that he trusted, such as Payton. Payton acknowledged when he resigned from the Saints that he intended to coach again soon.
On the morning of Feb. 1, Brady announced his retirement — except that he never actually used that word. He said he was “not going to make that competitive commitment anymore.” His choice of words was deliberate.
Just hours later, on Feb. 1, Flores filed his lawsuit against the Dolphins and the NFL alleging racial discrimination, as well as making explosive allegations against Ross of trying to lose games intentionally and of tampering with a certain star quarterback.
The lawsuit messed up everything, per the source. The plan to hire a white coach and a white team president without going through the Rooney Rule probably wouldn’t fly once the Dolphins were sued for racial discrimination.
Chris Simms went on the God Bless Football podcast hosted by Stugotz and revealed that the Dolphins were ready to trade Brady for a second pick and Payton for a first-rounder.
“They were going to trade a second-round pick to Tampa Bay to get Brady. [The Bucs] weren’t going to hold him hostage. Sean Payton and the Saints, that was going to be a first-round pick to get that deal done,” “It was a very real, tangible thing and the Brian Flores lawsuit definitely threw a wrench in it.”