The NFL’s official window for free agency doesn’t begin until March 15, but there’s already plenty of fodder to discuss as retired legend Tom Brady is somehow back on center stage with a rumored return of “The GOAT” landing with the Miami Dolphins.
Even after expertly joking his way out of rumors on Tuesday that had surfaced following the NFL Scouting Combine — with Rich Eisen serving as chief pot-stirrer — Brady is once again rumored to be “un-retiring” for the second time.
This round of reviving the noise belongs to New England Patriots broadcaster Scott Zolak.
Before we dive headfirst into all of this, a key component to keep in mind is Zolak’s friendship with Brady. So, it wouldn’t be surprising if he knew a few details that most others would not. Take that for what’s it worth.
Here’s Zolak making this latest declaration on NBC Sports Boston.
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Instead of the usual “this is what I heard” go-to play (one that carries little weight) Zolak does make some solid points.
“Tom Brady may go to Miami. I think that’s in play. I do. I think the possibility of him coming out of retirement is definitely 100 percent in play. You can sit there and look at the kitten tweet from yesterday. Don’t buy that. Multiple people dropped the hints. Colin Cowherd, he knows some Fox people.
I don’t think he’s gonna call games. How does that deal get done? How do you sign a guy to that $375 million, 10-year contract to call games, he’s not even gonna do it next year. I know his handlers have moved to Miami. It’s built for him. He’s looking at private schools for his kids. Cowherd talks about the San Francisco offense. He’s not talking about San Francisco. He’s talking about Mike McDaniel in Miami.“
Scott Zolak on Tom Brady-Miami Dolphins rumors
With Brady’s handlers apparently having moved to Miami and the notion that TB12 is checking out private schools in the area, it’s difficult not to perk up and start wondering. Again.
The points made about Colin Cowherd working for FOX — the same network Brady is supposed to start working for as a broadcast analyst in 2024 — and being privy to some inside intel makes logical sense.
With that gap year already built in, there would be no needed reworking of Brady’s deal with FOX. The 2023 season is there for the taking.
Then there’s the additional comment about Cowherd’s constant references to the 49ers’ offense, but meaning what Mike McDaniel brought to Miami. The crucial pieces to the puzzle are all suddenly there.
In theory, at least.
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It’s still hard to believe something like this would happen after the fiasco that took place around this time a year ago, with TB12 retiring and then changing his mind 40 days later to return for “one last season” with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
But don’t forget this is the new era of “Single Tom Brady.” All bets are off at this point and most of the shock value hardly remains given what’s already gone down.
Still, it’s kind of fun to envision all the chaos should he actually decide to come back yet again for another round in the NFL. It would be his 24th season.
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