Tom Brady is back and ready to play NFL football again for a 23rd straight season. But there's at least some speculation on whether or not it's going to be with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
All indications point to Tom Brady sticking to status quo. But with the Buccaneers relatively strapped salary cap-wise and not looking as formidable as in years past, due to age, injuries, and cap-based roster decisions, it's hard to argue that Tampa Bay offers the best chance at another Super Bowl ring for the man who owns the most of them in NFL history.
According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, there has been buzz on Tom Brady finding his ideal spot not too far away from Tampa Bay.
Via Pro Football Talk:
Dale Arnold claimed Thursday on WEEI radio that he wouldn’t be surprised if Brady goes to the Dolphins, and that he has heard the parties are “working on it.”
The Miami Dolphins just made a big splash in signing Tyreek Hill to a monster $120 million deal and have a supporting cast that's built for playoff contention, possibly more with the right quarterback. Tua Tagovailoa has proven to be a decent, if not solid option for Miami, but nobody's picking him to be ready to toss timely touchdowns at the Super Bowl. This Tom Brady guy on the other hand may be enough to spearhead a talented Dolphins roster throughout a deep Super Bowl run.
However, Florio further posits that while the speculation could have some merit based on the reporting, given that it's coming from the source that claims to have broken the Tom Brady-to-the-Bucs news, all other signs point to it being a highly improbable.
If Tom Brady forces his way out of Tampa Bay, it would be very detrimental to the Bucs organization that, despite being a larger than life figure in football, he technically still works for. The timing of the announcement kept them from pursuing a big fish like Deshaun Watson or one of the other veterans who switched teams like Matt Ryan. Brady's return also spurred the signings of a few Bucs players already, with Brady's return definitely playing a part in their decision.
As much as I love chaos, this seems like a major stretch. Brady returned just in time to keep the Bucs from making a run at Deshaun Watson, or some other quarterback to replace Brady. (That said, they could still go get Baker Mayfield, an apparent favorite of coach Bruce Arians.) Also, Brady has actively recruited players like center Ryan Jensen and defensive back Logan Ryan and running back Leonard Fournette to sign contracts with the team. If Brady would leave now, he would be making a heel turn even bigger and more unexpected than the one Aaron Rodgers has executed in recent months.
In all likelihood, Tom Brady will be running to back with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That won't stop the speculation from trickling into the NFL rumor mill until the season starts, though.