NFL insider alleges the league refused to investigate Miami Dolphins and Tom Brady for tampering to protect the parties involved
One of the most prominent NFL stories this offseason was the retirement/unretirement of all-time great Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady.
Brady's playing career appeared to be over after he announced his retirement in February of this year.
Soon after the announcement, rumors have since sprouted stating that Brady was interested in moving into the Dolphins front office and, later, unretiring, with Miami acquiring his player rights in a trade. That would qualify as tampering, and one NFL insider wants the league to investigate this matter.
Brady will return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022. But it only happened after Bruce Arians stepped down from his head coaching role and transitioned into an ambiguous front office role.
Things will be shaky in Tampa this upcoming season. The organization will likely be walking on eggshells in fear of upsetting Tom Brady and sending him south to Miami.
Clearly, it's out there that the 44-year-old has his eyes on the Dolphins franchise. So, the Bucs are on the defensive now, making sure he doesn't bolt at the first chance.
Mike Florio believes NFL should investigate Tom Brady and Miami Dolphins for tampering
NBC Sports' Pro Football Talk host Mike Florio believes Tom Brady, Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, and everyone else involved should be investigated for tampering.
Should the NFL be investigating the Dolphins for tampering with Brady? The easy answer is absolutely yes. Many believe that Brady is the unnamed quarterback in the Flores lawsuit with whom owner Stephen Ross wanted Flores to tamper in 2020. If the Dolphins had a plan that started with Brady becoming a post-retirement minority owner and ended with Brady coming out of retirement to play for the team, there surely were one or more impermissible communications between the Dolphins and/or Brady and/or his agent, Don Yee (who also represents Payton).
Unfortunately, those looking for justice in this story may be disappointed in how this will all play out:
But here’s the reality. The NFL rarely enforces the tampering rules. Because everyone tampers. Sometimes, but not often, they’ll nail someone to send a message. If the league wanted to investigate the Dolphins for tampering with Brady, they easily could. And the Buccaneers could easily make a tampering claim. The Dolphins’ defense quite possibly would include pointing out that the Buccaneers tampered with Brady in 2020. Because they definitely did.
Tom Brady has always escaped the NFL's iron fist and appears set to do so once again here. Stephen Ross will likely be dealing with the repercussions of Brian Flores' class action lawsuit regarding NFL owners' alleged racism. If nothing else, Ross will face the consequences of this no matter what.