Big Dolphins-Jets Game … For The Bucs?
January 6th, 2023
The implosion-friendly Jets (7-9) head to the Dolphins (8-8) on Sunday, where Miami needs a win to get in the playoffs and avoid closing the season on a six-game losing streak.
Armando Salguero, the former high-profile Dolphins beat writer for the Miami Herald, says if Miami loses Sunday, the entire Dolphins management team, including the head coach, is at risk of being fired, so Salguero wrote for Outkick.com.
Speculation is flowing that Sean Payton and Tom Brady would be a perfect 2023 marriage in Miami. And it doesn’t seem farfetched. Remember, the Dolphins were slapped publicly and fined by the NFL for tampering with Payton and Brady over the past few years in an effort to make the Payton-Brady-Dolphins union happen before this season.
What intrigued Joe was that plugged-in NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport was on The Pat McAfee Show yesterday and didn’t throw a bunch of cold water on the idea that Payton and Brady could be rescuing the Dolphins next season.
That happening would make Joe ill, of course, but certainly the possibility of luring Dolphins playcaller/head coach Mike McDaniel to Tampa Bay to replace Byron Leftwich is super exciting.
Go Dolphins!
January 6th, 2023 at 12:16 pm
Good. If that happens, the Bucs need to snap up the Dolphins HC immediately.
January 6th, 2023 at 12:18 pm
Hell I’d take Mike McDaniel as a HC if that happened. Miami would be crazy to let go of a young intelligent offensive guru with great game management skills as well.
January 6th, 2023 at 12:22 pm
First of all, no way the Jets beat Miami at home.
The Jets are a train wreck.
January 6th, 2023 at 12:22 pm
Well let’s try to enjoy Tom’s at least last two games as a Buc.
January 6th, 2023 at 12:22 pm
Jason, BA, Glazers, Chris, Mike, Wirfs and Jensen all need to get in a room with Tom at the same time that the new contract is put in front of him.
“Tom, what will it take to get you to sign that?”
He doesn’t get to leave the room until it is done.
January 6th, 2023 at 12:24 pm
If Tom Brady is our QB next year then I’d be happy to take Josh McDaniels over Byron Leftwich as long as Todd Bowels keeps his hands off the offense like Bill Belichick did
January 6th, 2023 at 12:25 pm
How the hell are you gong to get Miami’s HC when Bowles is coming back for next season?
Smh at some the comments sometimes..
Yes we’re stuck with Bowles.
January 6th, 2023 at 12:42 pm
They met head coach to be the o cord
January 6th, 2023 at 12:42 pm
I think Miami is done with Tua, regardless if they make the playoffs. He just can’t stay healthy. I doubt they’d get rid of McDaniel after one year, even with Peyton available. It just makes no sense. They could have hired a guy in house as a placeholder, with a wink nod that Peyton would be the next coach.
January 6th, 2023 at 12:42 pm
Hire this guy as OC, demote Bowles to DC and hire Sean Payton as HC. Done, Brady is happy and keeps playing for the Bucs.
January 6th, 2023 at 12:46 pm
I hardly believe the Dolphins are going to can McDaniel after one season, and they had an unforeseen issue with their QB getting injured repeatedly. That makes zero sense. And I don’t know why everyone is trying so hard to send Brady to Miami. Do you really think in his more than likely last season he wants to start over again? I doubt it.
January 6th, 2023 at 12:49 pm
Well, if Brady chooses to leave, he’s dead to me.
January 6th, 2023 at 12:51 pm
sasquatch..that’s hilarious!
January 6th, 2023 at 12:54 pm
Gotta move off of Brady at some point. A 45 year old quarterback can’t be the reason Bucs are relevant.
January 6th, 2023 at 12:58 pm
@Goatfarmer
…hostage situation. Well played
January 6th, 2023 at 12:59 pm
I agree with everyone else. If that happens we need the dolphins HC he is light years better than Leftwhich and toilet Bowles.
January 6th, 2023 at 1:02 pm
But wait….I thought Brady was going to SF.
But wait….I thought Brady was going to LV.
But wait….I thought Payton was going back to the Saints.
Excuse me for thinking.
January 6th, 2023 at 1:04 pm
Pewter, like it or not, unfortunately for the Bucs, he’s the only reason the Bucs are relevant? Whether you feel he is falling off or not, he’s like Tiger Woods, fans come out in hopes they win and to watch Brady do what he did last week. Not saying there aren’t a bunch of very talented players on the team but Brady fills the seats!
January 6th, 2023 at 1:08 pm
I don’t see Brady going to 49ers. They don’t need him and I believe it’s too far for him to go and be away from his kids who would likely stay in Florida. With the kids and playing football as his two main things to balance I suspect Miami is his preferred destination. Tua is too fragile and Brady would love being there for many reasons from a good team, chance to win a ring with 3rd team, and Giselle and he both have mansions there. I think Bucs have a chance but they would have to show Brady they can win next year and that’s a tall order. With Leftwich as OC and Bowles as coach and the salary cap issues, it would be better to start rebuild.
January 6th, 2023 at 1:13 pm
Stephen Ross isn’t a dumb man. The hundreds of millions he’d make with Payton and Brady would he obscene. Unless he’s senile, Ross (or any other owner) would can McDaniel in a heartbeat. Even if it was Brady and Harbaugh Ross would pull the trigger.
the Dolphins were unaware Tua can’t stay on the field???
Oh, it makes truckloads of cents!
January 6th, 2023 at 1:20 pm
If Tua cant’t stay healthy being mobile, what do u think will happen to the fleet footed Tom??????
January 6th, 2023 at 1:21 pm
No way the Jets beat Miami? The Dolphins are starting Skylar Thompson at QB.
WHO?
Exactly.
January 6th, 2023 at 1:25 pm
Jets will win with QB Mike White starting against Miami’s inexperienced first start for QB Skylar Thompson
January 6th, 2023 at 1:26 pm
1. 49ers Don’t believe nonsense when there quarterback fails playoff, he’ll be there number one choice with the roster they have 2 Raiders/Dolphins 50-50 both have the talent to draw him will they make the investment on D. 3. Bucs – Yes, definitely a chance if they continue to push money down the line and put the emphasis on winning now 4. Saints- Payton/ Brady love fest 5. Jets QB away 6. Pats- Very unlikely the hoodie cares about his reputation more than anyone needs to win one without him
January 6th, 2023 at 1:26 pm
White versus Skylar? Hmm I’ll go with Jets D.
January 6th, 2023 at 1:34 pm
I actually could see Brady liking to play the Patriots twice a year in his final years……yep….that would be an enticement.
January 6th, 2023 at 1:34 pm
Suppose Bucs beat Dallas in 1st round of playoffs.
Would Mike McCarthy’s job be in jeopardy in Dallas? and if so, would Payton be a leading candidate?
The speculation goes round and round.
January 6th, 2023 at 1:37 pm
Just a reminder, salary cap hell is real next year, and while the Bucs could bring Brady back, even using every cap trick in the book, you’d still be losing a number of veterans (both Shaq’s, Fournette, Donovan Smith, Gage, possibly Evans, etc — all would have to be post-June 1st cuts to half count vs the 2024 cap) and you would not have any money to replace guys.
Joe, if you see this, I’d love to see you talk to a real cap expert and have them explain how in the world you could keep Brady and still keep a decent team around him. If you’ve done something like that, please let me know since I must have missed it.
I know in general people will say the cap if flexible and will do whatever you want, I’ve said that myself for years and that is normally true, but the Bucs really did use pretty much every trick available just to keep this team together this long, and looking over the roster, cap hits, cost to cut guys, who can be restructured etc, I just don’t see how they keep Brady without gutting the team. I’d love to be shown how and why I’m wrong.
January 6th, 2023 at 1:47 pm
Rod, the only trick left is the Rams model. Problem with that is, the Rams owner is worth about doubled what Malcolm is. Would they do that for one more run with Brady? I doubt it. The bill comes due at some point. Every team needs to reset the books eventually. For me, this was always a three year plan with Brady. It’s run is course. Time to rip the bandaid.
January 6th, 2023 at 1:56 pm
I’m 90% sure Sean Payton would never coach here because of his history at N O!! That 10% would only happen if TB12 stayed here. Our best bet of keeping TB12 would be to win the next 3 games. Anything else and I believe he’s gone! IMO.
January 6th, 2023 at 2:00 pm
THE ONLY TWO THINGS THAT MATTER …
1. We’re playing Atlanta. An offensive explosion or a serious injury dramatically changes the post-season narrative.
2. Post-season. I like the Bucs vs NFC. The AFC should beat each other up.
TB12 is gonna do what TB12 is going to do. Don’t borrow stress from the future.
January 6th, 2023 at 2:02 pm
If Bowles and Leftwich find someway to win the next 3 games we are stuck with them. Maybe not BL even then.
January 6th, 2023 at 2:03 pm
Brady is 100% leaving for the Raiders. The deal is done. And that’s ok. He delivered a Super Bowl and two division championships. Brady can do whatever or whomever he wants.
January 6th, 2023 at 2:10 pm
Redeemer – I don’t think the Glazers would have any issues spending cash, that’s what they’ve been doing to get us this far, the issue is all those cash tricks, like void years, as far as I know and understand, can’t be deferred, so the Bucs, for example, have a nearly $7m cap hit for David next year, even though he’s not under contract – also Hicks has a $5m hit, Gholston a $2.5m hit, Julio a $4m hit, all of those hits are for guys not under contract, and even if you resigned them, those hits stay in place, I believe.
With Brady, I’m a little less clear on things as he has a $35m cap hit, but again, isn’t under contract, but it says $10m is a bonus, so that portion of it should be able to be restructured, I think. But then again, maybe not, as Brady is showing as a $10m cap hit through 2025 already. So if you signed Brady to another season, that should be worth at least $40 you’d think, but his 2023 cap hit would need to be as small as possible, so if you did some more trickery, you’d be carrying like a $20m cap hit through 2026, likely.
In any case I completely disagree with you. If there is anyway at all that the Bucs can bring Brady back, they should do it. Once Brady leaves, it’s all over, the team goes back to being a non-factor in the NFL, everyone forgets the Bucs are thing, and we go into another decade or two of losing. In 2019 the Buccaneers were still the most losing sports franchise in all of American sports. Since then the Minnesota Timberwolves have taken over that spot – but that’s the future for this team once Brady leaves, so the Bucs should try to keep this window open for as long as possible and at any price.
January 6th, 2023 at 2:13 pm
Because of Brady’s lack of mobility an Offensive coordinator is limited.
Once Brady moves on the replacement will be able to get outside the pocket and extend plays. Trask waiting on Brady is like Rodgers waiting on Farve and that turned out well.
January 6th, 2023 at 2:15 pm
I don’t care about the Jets.
January 6th, 2023 at 2:21 pm
Rod, I have one word for you. “SUMMARIZE!”
January 6th, 2023 at 2:23 pm
Dwayne come….Trask being starter would me a good first round pick next year and a sure last place for NFC south.
January 6th, 2023 at 2:24 pm
Carr will be a buc if Brady goes.
January 6th, 2023 at 2:25 pm
Rod, I get where you’re coming from. I just can’t see how they make the team appreciably better without a tremendous cash expenditure. They way I understand it, if Brady resigns they can kick that dead hit down the road, or at least space it out. As for the other cases, I think they can do roughly the same. Let me check on it.
January 6th, 2023 at 2:27 pm
I hope that whatever happens it does so quickly. I don’t want months or even weeks of speculation.
January 6th, 2023 at 2:38 pm
hey Sasquish when is Tom’s funeral?
January 6th, 2023 at 2:44 pm
Rod, here’s what I found. Brady has 45.88 million left in prorated money, from previous deals. The only way the bucs can avoid accelerating the 35 million into the 2023 cap, is for Brady to sign another one year deal, even if he plans to retire. That deal would need to be comprised completely of base salary. That would spread the dead hit into 2023 and 24. I still can’t figure out the implications if he plays here next year. Maybe I’m missing something, you know more about this than I do.
January 6th, 2023 at 2:45 pm
Brady is not playing for the Dolphins. The optics alone would be disastrous after the tampering charge. The league would be furious. Also, Mike McDaniel isn’t going anywhere. The guy has been pretty good this season. His defense has let him down. He also has great rapport with Tua. I don’t think he wants to take on a 46 year old QB, especially since his offense requires some mobility.
I still stand by my belief that Brady will retire next season. He’ll never use the word “retire.” I think he’ll move into his cushy new announcing gig. He’s already been talking about announcing games. He recently lamented about being able to call games “shortly.”
Here’s what’s in front of Brady if he decides to play for another team next season:
He will need to learn a completely new offensive system. That’s a lot of work. He has a high football IQ, but it still would require extensive work, and he didn’t really feel comfortable with the entire Bucs offense until last year. Also, does Brady want to dedicate almost an entire offseason and more to become acclimated with an offense and also deal with relocating? And you know the league will be pulling his and Beal and Ross’ phone records again if Brady signs with the team. Another tampering charge would be an awful stain on his resume.
You also look a these so-called prospective teams he’s been linked to. You have to remember that according to Darlington, Brady has demands on the locations of the team if he decides to play. Let’s examine the teams:
Las Vegas- No shot. Brady is adamant about living closer to kids, especially after the divorce where he shares custody with his ex wife. They live in Miami and his older kid lives in NY. So that eliminates LV.
Miami- I’ve already listed the reasons why Miami would be a no go. It is only interesting because his kids live in Miami and it would still be close to his son in NY.
Jets- No way. Not a chance.
49ers- It’s on the west coast, and they are already stacked at the QB position with young talent. I think Lynch will pass.
Those are the only viable teams for him. He’ll be one year older, and the film he put out this year hasn’t been the best. Personally, I would have a problem with him skipping to another team. It’s just a bad look. He’s the most accomplished QB in history. His legacy is cemented and can’t be touched. He has an obsession with this game that needs to be stop. I love Tom. He’s a fellow Michigan alum, and I’ve followed his entire career. Who can step in and tell him to hang it up? Gisele failed? Maybe his parents?
January 6th, 2023 at 2:50 pm
Mike “Poindexter” McDaniel as an exciting consolation prize for Brady and Punk Payton joining forces in Miami? Bromosa keg stands started early at JBF HQ I see.
It’s not a far fetched scenario…either is Las Vegas along with Gronk. Brady will have many options…Tampa is lucky to be in the Top 10 at this point. Of course it could all change with 4-5 game winning streak from here.
January 6th, 2023 at 2:51 pm
Brady goes to 49ers or Vegas.
I was 100% 49ers, until I thought about the 2023 draft.
LV 2023 has a high 1st & they’ll also likely get good picks when they trade Carr.
Throwing targets in LV great, Oline is good, and so is Dline. They have cap space.
Doesn’t have to learn a new system in LV–McDaniels’ system he’s knows just a little I suspect.
#8 in TB.
#9 in LV or SF.
Suh.
January 6th, 2023 at 3:45 pm
And Gronk would like to party in Sin City!
January 6th, 2023 at 3:46 pm
We’re going to have to pull the band-aid off at some point. Brady can’t play forever and after what I expect will be a large player exodus in next year’s free agency, we’re going to have to start building for the future. A Bowles (defense) and McDaniel (offense) combo might get us off to a good start.
January 6th, 2023 at 4:08 pm
Trask fan boys are ridiculous. The situation with Rodgers and Trask isn’t comparable. Rodgers was the actual backup to Farve when he came into the league. Trask hasn’t dressed for a game since he arrived in the NFL. You know why? Because he’s not even in the same stratosphere of Rodgers. Trask might be decent a QB, but please stop any comparisons to any all time QB. Trask is Trask. I also think if Trask didn’t play for a FL school there wouldn’t be so much hype for him. Most of the hype are from Gator fans.
January 6th, 2023 at 4:42 pm
Just another POS article on this LOSER site!!!! Just infuriating how today there is no standards of journalism. Just Make it up to get clicks!!!
January 6th, 2023 at 4:46 pm
Redeemer Says: Brady has 45.88 million left in prorated money, from previous deals. The only way the bucs can avoid accelerating the 35 million into the 2023 cap, is for Brady to sign another one year deal, even if he plans to retire. That deal would need to be comprised completely of base salary. That would spread the dead hit into 2023 and 24.
———-
Interesting, I had not seen that. So, if I understand it correctly, they could get the hit down to $17m, plus whatever his base salary would be, I think. Now, what the Bucs can do there is, lets say, sign Brady to a 3yr/120-million extension, with lets say $40m guaranteed, and then do the payout as $1m/$20m/$99m. I’m just making up those numbers and that split off the top of my head, but that would mean you’re looking at a $18m hit for Brady next year, with dead cap hits of $37m hit $36m in ’24 and ’25, when you’d be rebuilding anyways.
Again, I’d take it.
As for the team being better or not, there’s an easy way to be better, and that is with better coaching. Go through the loses, and if you had Arians coaching this team, I think they still only lose two of those games, KC and @SF, all the other games were lost due to dumb coaching. If you go game by game, you can absolutely make the case that this team would be 14-2 right now if Arians was still the headcoach.
But in any case, what happens in the playoffs will determine everything I believe. If the Bucs lose in the 1st round, then I don’t see Brady coming back. However, if the Bucs make a run, I think Brady is comfortable enough here that he’d stick around.
January 6th, 2023 at 4:49 pm
Bucsfan13, I don’t think Brady got divorced over one more year of football. I do think it’s close to 50/50 if he plays next year. But he wanted that option. NFL football is like a drug for him. He could care how it looks if he joins Miami next year. With Brady, they’re an instant contender. Two of the fastest recievers in the game, with a coordinator who knows his elbow from his rear. You’re telling me that’s not attractive?
January 6th, 2023 at 4:50 pm
After dealing with an older QB in Breeze’s last year who lost the velocity and arm
strength in his final year, I believe Peyton will want to be set up for the future with a young QB to duplicate his success with Breeze.
January 6th, 2023 at 4:51 pm
Just bring payton to tampa….everything is in place other than stupid play calling….
January 6th, 2023 at 4:52 pm
Brady was immobile 20 years ago, is STILL immobile, go figure. Doesn’t seem to have been a great hindrance to his career. Last year he was flat out the best QB in the NFL, this year, easily top ten, better than that when our line is intact and BL isn’t sabotaging us.
I see no route where we improve at the QB position before next year
January 6th, 2023 at 5:05 pm
Rod, your hypothetical math checks out. Wtf do I know. Maybe Tampa with a new coordinator is the best option. We’re all postulating here. But if the Miami thing is real, who would you rather throw to. Hill and waddle, or Evans and Godwin? For me, it’s Miami by a good margin. Yes, he’d need to contended with the bills and Patriots, but I think he’d see it as another challenge. IDK.
January 6th, 2023 at 5:31 pm
Funny how the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
Regardless of which side of the fence you’re on.
January 6th, 2023 at 6:03 pm
Old School Bucs go yell at some kids to get off your lawn.
January 6th, 2023 at 7:02 pm
I saw some of those games and honestly I felt bad for them. Tua had a clean pocket and wide open receivers, but kept throwing INTs. After our 2020 ring I can laugh when I remember Jameis playing like that, but it’s definitely not fun at all when it was a QB playing like that for our beloved Bucs.
January 6th, 2023 at 7:35 pm
Yepper Brady a Dolphin they have the tools….
January 6th, 2023 at 9:01 pm
tom’s gotta be crazy if he’s taking his game back to the afc next year…
he needs to reside in the nfc for his own good at 46…
all the yung guns are in the afc…
stay tommy b stay………………work it out with the glazers
January 6th, 2023 at 9:20 pm
Brady immobile? He’s not a fleet of foot and he’s not gonna pick up a ton of first downs on third and long, but his foot work and manipulation of the pocket is the best of all time. That’s not even disputed. There’s a difference between being fast and being savvy. His ability to move around the pocket is what made him the best. It’s what also why he is so durable. Being able to feel the pocket move up move back move side to side. People calling him a statue and immobile is simply just wrong.
January 6th, 2023 at 9:58 pm
It’s funny just how quickly things can change in the NFL…
Just 6 or 7 weeks ago, Mike McDaniel was the new wunderkind head coach / offensive mind, Tua was a top tier QB, and the prospects of Brady heading there were nearly 0%…
January 7th, 2023 at 12:55 am
Why would they bring in an old Brady when a healthy Tua was proving to be very very good and 20 years younger? That makes no sense at all.
January 7th, 2023 at 1:42 am
omg david…
i would rather bring in his little brother from maryland…lol…
also the dude’s bell has been rung up 3 times this year alone…
and the arm is cotton candy…
imho brady can stay as long as he wants…he can go out there on skates or with a walker and i’ll be like “that’s my guy”
January 7th, 2023 at 8:21 am
The storybook ending for Brady’s career would be in SF. Easily become a Super Bowl favorite and a hero’s welcome home. Imagine being a Niners fan all these years knowing they could have had Brady for the past 23 years if they just would have drafted him and knowing it was always where he wanted to play. They’ll probably throw a parade the day he signs.
The Brady/Payton combo to Miami makes sense for Miami as Joe points out. Does it make sense to Brady? Closer to his kids, possible ownership stake and gets to play Belichick twice a year to possibly ruin his playoff hopes (even though Buffalo make it a tougher division than the NFC West).
I don’t think LV has the pieces in place for him to want to go there at this point. They looked more promising in 2020 than now, even with Adam’s.
As for “staying on the east coast to be near his kids”….. they have contraptions called “aeroplanes” and he has mega-millions. I think he could make it work. Lol. Plus his parents aren’t getting any younger and being closer to them is also a consideration.
I truly hope he stays with the Bucs but just can’t see it if they keep Bowles and don’t take more aggressive steps to beef up the o-line. And for all of the ppl saying “But all these guys just signed 3 year deals thinking Tom would be here”, blah, blah, blah. No decent player is signing a 1-year deal and I’m sure they all knew it might only be one more year with TB12. He’s forty-freaking-five and already “retired” once.
His motivation is always to win and SF gives him the best chance, Miami a close second with possible added perks. The Bucs are a distant 3rd or worse with Bowles.
January 7th, 2023 at 10:05 am
Call me nuts, call me naive but I think Brady stays in Tampa and the Bucs swing a trade for Sean P. I might be crazy but I think Brady has loyalty to the Bucs. This all obviously hinges on Brady not calling it quits after the season (which again, I don’t think he does).
January 7th, 2023 at 10:56 am
tb33^^ im with you, couldnt believe the dolphins could can mcdaniel. If that happens, the glazers need to open up the pockets and pay that kid to be the OC and potential HC in waiting????
January 8th, 2023 at 11:10 pm
Let’s start with Bowles and Leftwich . Bucs owners will not cut them loose after just one year especially when Brady bailed them out by winning their division. These are BA’s boys and they all just one a Superbowl just 2 years ago and won division titles the other years . that’s enough for the bucs owners . They have only won 2 Superbowls in their 40 plus year franchise existence so yeah the bucs current coaches are not going anywhere 100% fact . If they were gonna they would have done so mid season but again their owners have always been content to be a subpar team .if they expected more success in the last 40 some odd years they would have hired top notch coaches and players consistently .Brady had every intention on going to Las Vegas in 2020 but Gruden didn’t want the Goat of all things Offensive . Gruden also has a huge ego and didn’t want a popular Rockstar Quarterback casting any shadows on his sunlight . Then on the other side you have the Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross would give Tom whateverTom wants to become a Dolphin even now . This was already practically a done deal before Tom ever retired . So much so he went ahead and started construction on his new dream home in South Beach and had it not been for Brian Flores blowing up this deal with the lawsuit he would probably already be a Dolphin I honestly don’t think anything has changed about wanting to become a Player/GM/Minority Owner for Miami .so I guess it’s still a toss up between Las Vegas and Miami .And one more thing yall touched on and that’s it would look bad on Brady and or Stephen Ross if he signed with the Dolphins. Are yall serious? This is Teflon Tom that went through Spy Gate . Deflate Gate . and last years negotiations with both teams Owners and after all that he came out pretty much unscathed and as popular then ever so No TOM WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM SIGNING WITH MIAMI . AND LASTLY GISELLE JUST BOUGHT A NEW HOME RIGHT ACROSS FROM BRADYS PLACE (OBVIOUSLY TO CO-PARENT) WHY WOULD SHE DO THAT IF SHE DIDN’T ALREADY KNO WHERE TOM WOULD BE LIVING FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE ? SHE WOULDN’T . AND SAN FRANCISCO WONT PULL THE TRIGGER ON TOM . THEY HAD THAT CHANCE 3 SEASONS AGO PASSED . DONT SEE THEM DOING SO 3 YEARS LATER . EVEN THOUGH THEIR COACH REGRETTED NOT DOING SO THEN