Dolphins not expected to go after Tom Brady if he plays in 2023: report

TAMPA — If Tom Brady comes back for another season, it’s looking more likely it could be in Tampa Bay.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Miami Dolphins are not “expected to pursue” Brady should the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback plays in 2023.

The report said the Dolphins are committed to Tua Tagovailoa as their starting quarterback next season and are encouraged by his development under first-year head coach Mike McDaniel.

Brady, who will be 46 next season, is undecided about whether to play but he is an unrestricted free agent and cannot be tagged as a franchise player due to a clause in his contract. He is expected to have several teams interested, including the Raiders.

Two of Brady’s children live with his ex-wife, Gisele Bündchen, in south Florida, and Brady visited their prospective private school last week, according to multiple reports.

A year ago, during the wild-card playoff round, Brady was talking to the Dolphins about possibly playing in Miami. Following a six-month investigation, the NFL found that Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross and vice chairman/limited partner Bruce Beal tampered with Brady by holding conversations with the Bucs quarterback and then-Saints coach Sean Payton.

The Dolphins were stripped of their 2023 first-round draft pick and a third-rounder in 2024. In addition, Ross was fined $1.5 million and suspended until Oct. 17. Beal, who sits on the board of TB12 — the health and fitness company founded by Brady and trainer Alex Guerrero — was fined $500,000 and not allowed to attend any league meetings for the rest of the season.

Tagovailoa missed most or all of six games after sustaining multiple concussions this season and is unable to participate in the Pro Bowl next weekend. The Dolphins have not yet picked up Tagovailoa’s fifth-year option or signed him to a long-term contract.

While the Dolphins may decide not to go after Brady, he could certainly reach out to them when the free-agent negotiating period begins in mid-March.

But Brady also has a close relationship with the Glazer family that owns the Bucs. If Brady returns to Tampa Bay, he would have to learn a new offense. The Bucs have interviewed five candidates to replace offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and plan to speak with Georgia offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Todd Monken in the coming days.

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