Tom Brady gives curious answer when asked about unretiring and playing for Miami Dolphins
Tom Brady has retired, and the Miami Dolphins have committed contractually to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for the next two seasons.
Still, it hasn’t stopped Brady from fielding questions about whether he’ll join the Dolphins after both sides flirted with the possibility several years ago.
Brady, the keynote speaker at a global technology conference in Miami on Thursday, did not give a definite answer to the question, posed by a host for the event.
“Is there any chance you’re coming out of retirement and playing for the Fins?” one host asked.
“I will say now that I’m not affiliated with any team anymore, even though I have strong ties with a couple teams, I do have some friends on the Dolphins that I really like,” Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion, said.
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“So, I wouldn’t say I necessarily root for them all the time, but I root for my friends to do well, and several of them play for Miami.”
Tagovailoa said he mulled retirement in conversations with his family before deciding to continue his NFL career.Considered retiring from NFL after multiple concussions
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The Dolphins inappropriately contacted Brady in 2019 while he was a member of the New England Patriots, and in 2021 while as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Miami was also in contact with agent Don Yee, who represents both Brady and Payton. The Dolphins had contact with Yee regarding Payton in January 2022.
The NFL found Miami and Brady discussed him “becoming a limited partner in the Dolphins and possibly serving as a football executive, although at times they also included the possibility of his playing for the Dolphins.”
None of that transpired though, in part thanks to the lawsuit raised by former Dolphins coach Brian Flores, who sued the NFL and several teams alleging racial discrimination in hiring practices.
Flores alleged in his lawsuit that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered to pay him $100,000 to lose games, in order to tank during the 2019 season and improve draft position. The NFL’s investigation did not find evidence to support this claim.
If Tagovailoa’s concussion issues persists or another situation arises, perhaps both Brady and the Dolphins explore their options together.