Dolphins Pay Hefty NFL Price For Tampering With Tom Brady
August 2nd, 2022
Team Glazer got disrespected.
It’s finally official that Tom Brady was being courted by the Dolphins — and the Dolphins were dealt an uppercut to the jaw by Roger Goodell as a result.
Most Bucs fans know the story; Brady was being wooed to be a team executive in Miami with Sean Peyton coming along as head coach.
It didn’t happen, following former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores filing a lawsuit claiming all kinds of shady antics by Dolphins owner Stephen Ross.
Today, the NFL announced the Dolphins are guilty, and they’re guilty of trying to tank the 2019 season.
Here’s the juicy Brady stuff:
- The Dolphins had impermissible communications with quarterback Tom Brady in 2019-20, while he was under contract to the New England Patriots. Those communications began as early as August 2019 and continued throughout the 2019 season and post-season. These numerous and detailed discussions were conducted by Mr. Beal, who in turn kept Mr. Ross and other Dolphins executives informed of his discussions with Mr. Brady.
- The Dolphins again had impermissible communications with both Mr. Brady and his agent during and after the 2021 season, while he was under contract to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Those discussions began no later than early December 2021 and focused on Mr. Brady 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. Both Messrs. Ross and Beal were active participants in these discussions.
- In January 2022, the Dolphins had impermissible communications with Don Yee, the agent for New Orleans Saints’ head coach Sean Payton, about having Mr. Payton serve as Miami’s head coach. Miami did not seek consent from New Orleans to have these discussions, which occurred before Coach Payton announced his decision to retire as head coach of the Saints. Following that announcement, Miami requested permission to speak to Coach Payton for the first time, which New Orleans declined to grant.
The punishment?
The Dolphins lose a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft and third-rounder selection in 2024 NFL.
Miami’s owner also was fined and will be suspended from part of the season and he can’t go to the owners meetings next year.
So Brady’s agent was talking to the Dolphins midway through the 2021 season. Nice. Maybe Brady will step up and fire his agent? Don’t count on it.
August 2nd, 2022 at 12:16 pm
Did the Dolphin front office seriously believe no one was looking? Unreal stupidity or arrogance – maybe both.
August 2nd, 2022 at 12:19 pm
Stupid for sure.
August 2nd, 2022 at 12:20 pm
Will they Suspend Brady too?
August 2nd, 2022 at 12:21 pm
oh the drama of it all…… I am sure it happens everyday….
August 2nd, 2022 at 12:23 pm
After seeing what little happened to Watson I’m surprised the NFL did anything.
August 2nd, 2022 at 12:25 pm
NFL should transfer the Dolphin’s first round pick to the Bucs.
August 2nd, 2022 at 12:25 pm
A first and a third rounder?? OUCH
I’m curious..I mean I know it’s Lord Brady but… could there be any punishment forthcoming for him and his involvement in this deal?
August 2nd, 2022 at 12:32 pm
Could Brady be suspended?
August 2nd, 2022 at 12:36 pm
This is proof that Brady didn’t want to play in Tampa this year.
August 2nd, 2022 at 12:42 pm
Brady don’t want to be here , some players in our locker room will definitely feel a way about this smh .
GoBucs!
August 2nd, 2022 at 12:49 pm
You don’t need to be Nostradamus to see what’s happening here. The agent works for the player. Firing the agent would only be for show. Brady is doing the exact same thing he did when he left NE. His contract ends at the end of the season so he can be a free agent. He’s out of here one way or another. Tua stinks, Tyreek Hill is not going to be happy catching 7 yard passes, Brady is going down there or he’s retiring.
August 2nd, 2022 at 12:51 pm
Maybe he knows he is in trouble with the league and that’s why he was so pissy yesterday in his interview?
August 2nd, 2022 at 1:04 pm
@ Bucs Win: I know the perception is that Tua has a weak arm. I thought so to. I saw video from Dolphins practice a day or two ago and Tua dropped a 65 yard (in the air) dime to the Cheetah. Impressive and surprising.
August 2nd, 2022 at 1:21 pm
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
These IDIOTS just lost a first round pick and they have Tua at QB!!!
I hope they go 2-15 and just lost the first overall pick in next year’s draft…
Oh that would be so awesome.
August 2nd, 2022 at 1:27 pm
Everyone knew Brady was trying to get out of New England. It started in the off-season after the superbowl loss to the eagles. He asked to be traded. None of this surprises me. What does surprise me, is how many of you, including Joe, buried your heads in the sand. Brady tried to shoot himself out of Tampa. They told him no. This should be embarrassing to Brady on an image level. He’s always fashions himself as singularly focused.
As a fan, I really don’t care. Bucs fans shouldn’t either. He won the bucs a Superbowl, and but for the Godwin injury, and ABs melt down, he probably wins another. Brady’s diva behavior started long before he arrived in Tampa. If the NFL changed the punishment, it would be more of a deterrent. The Patriots and the bucs should get Miami’s picks.
August 2nd, 2022 at 2:03 pm
So was Bruce Arians forced out by Tom too? Seems like if the whole Miami fiasco is completely true, then some aspect of the BA retirement might be on ol Tommy…
August 2nd, 2022 at 2:04 pm
“Tampering” which includes simply “talking” to a player under contract and/or his agent – happens ALL THE TIME in the NFL…
Obvious and egregious examples such as the Dolphins were engaging in must be investigated and stamped out for the good of the game – yet its hard to keep the lid on that pandora’s box that represents all the hundreds of more minor “tampering” type infractions that happen every year and that we all pretty much know every team engages in….
Example – Arian’s public statement in Feb 2020 that he wanted Brady as his new QB was definitely in the realm of “tampering”. And yet all he was doing was truthfully answering a direct question when it happened…..
I’m glad the Dolphins got busted and are paying heavily for this crap they were trying to pull though.
Now where’s the updated investigation into the Saints defensive ‘tactics’? It wasn’t all that long ago that the Saints were officially busted for intentionally trying to hurt other teams key players. Go back and watch the 2nd Saints vs Bucs game and tell me with a straight face those bastaaads weren’t trying to injure our best offensive players. They got 4Net. They got Godwin. They tried to take out Gronk’s knee as well but just missed….
August 2nd, 2022 at 2:32 pm
Brady didn’t do anything that violates any business rules. Anyone can listen to offers and have conversation. What the Dolphins did is tampering and only the Dolphins broke any rules. Whatever discussions they had didn’t lead anywhere to Brady not honoring his contract with the Bucs so leave it at that.
I understand Buc fans feeling slighted but if you are in a job and another company wants to discuss your future, you are not obligated to tell your employer that you had a conversation.
Brady would have been stupid not to listen. In the end the whole thing makes the Dolphins look like idiots as if they didn’t know TB was under contract. Their franchise is in the toilet with Ross running it.
August 2nd, 2022 at 3:04 pm
Gonna be tough when the GOAT goes, but im not going to miss him or his antics. He got everything he wanted from one of the few teams that actually wanted to give him a shot. While he was worrying about his next job opportunities, he should have been paying more attention to how to not suck against the Saints and Rams.
August 2nd, 2022 at 3:12 pm
GOAT rustling is a serious crime.
August 2nd, 2022 at 3:55 pm
It would only be fair if the Bucs received the picks that Miami lost after all they were tampering with their player.
August 2nd, 2022 at 4:29 pm
@ Lt. Dan, I’m not referring to arm strength, he chooses not to throw deep.
August 2nd, 2022 at 4:31 pm
My initial take. Could be way off because I have not read all the details. Just this article.
Brady would not have come back to the Bucs if the Dolphins had given him enough of a share of ownership of their team.
Nothing in this conversation suggests to me that Brady’s ultimate goal was to play quarterback for the Dolphins. However, I am sure that if they offered him enough ownership, he probably would have agreed to play quarterback for them.
My other take. Everyone has been talking about how stressed and annoyed that Brady appears to have been these last few days including at his presser yesterday. It seems at least a decent chance that his stress has been related to the fact that he knew that these findings were going to be announced. I actually think he probably got a side deal where he had his press conference yesterday and the announcement was today so he had no requirement to do a press conference in close proximity to this news.
August 2nd, 2022 at 4:54 pm
Let’s not get carried away here. Brady is still the Bucs QB and he still wants to win it all. I think he’d be crazy to go to Miami, especially after the penalties levied. Tampa Bay will still be his best chance to win.
August 2nd, 2022 at 6:01 pm
If Brady is not discipline, everyplayer and agent will violate the tampering rule. Brady was at one meeting in Miami, the then head coach of the Doplins saw him on the owners yatch. BA found about what Brady was doing in confronted him. Turn coat Brady got mad and decided to retire and move to Miami. the lawsuit was filed and Bradys made a call to come back to Tampa if BA is removed because he though BA had notified the N.F.L, about the tampering.
August 2nd, 2022 at 7:41 pm
Doc,
Sounds like the plot for a Lifetime docu-drama series. You got writing skeelz, my friend.
August 2nd, 2022 at 7:43 pm
Shirley, I jest. Is that the same as a juxtaposition?
August 2nd, 2022 at 8:03 pm
@D-Rok. That was total fan fiction lol
August 3rd, 2022 at 7:01 am
Tom is a traitor in my book. I’ll never look at him the same way again.
I didn’t like sloppy seconds as a young man and I like it even less coming back to the Bucs as a last resort. He’s lucky he’s not getting suspended.
I said it before and I’ll say it again. We are Bucs fans FIRST. Individual players ALWAYS second. Even you Tom.
August 3rd, 2022 at 8:33 am
Brady’s complicity or lack thereof aside, his lack of any punishment in this situation comes down to 3 things.
First, the NFL cannot afford to be dragging TB down into the dirt because for many he is the face of the NFL….and it could possibly hurt NFL branding more than TB.
Secondly, for the NFL to go after Brady again after “deflate gate” (which many still believe that Brady was wrongfully punished), might well make the NFL look like the bully they are.
Lastly, consider the image it poses for the NFL, that arguably their greatest ever player (TB the goat) was a cheater.