Report: Brian Flores’ Lawsuit Ruined Potential Tom Brady-Dolphins Deal

Just how close was Tom Brady to joining the Miami Dolphins this offseason?

A few weeks back, reports began to surface that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross was serious about bringing in Brady and former Saints head coach Sean Payton.

But the latest word is that Brady wasn’t necessarily going to be playing for the Dolphins. Ross’ plan was to bring in Brady as a minority owner (at first), and when the Buccaneers figured out a contingency plan at QB, he would then approach them about compensation which would allow TB12 to play for Miami.

However, when Brian Flores opened a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination against the Dolphins, it foiled the entire plan.

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When Tom Brady retired, he was going to be introduced as part-owner of the Dolphins, per @ProFootballTalk & @BenVolin.

Miami reportedly planned to pursue Sean Payton, then add Brady at QB too.

The plan was scrapped after Brian Flores' lawsuit — filed the same day Brady retired. pic.twitter.com/QIAbeyEGh6

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) April 7, 2022

Check out more of the Miami Dolphins’ elaborate plan to bring in Tom Brady per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe:

“On the morning of Feb. 1, Brady announced his retirement — except that he never actually used that word. He said he was “not going to make that competitive commitment anymore.” His choice of words was deliberate.

Just hours later, on Feb. 1, Flores filed his lawsuit against the Dolphins and the NFL alleging racial discrimination, as well as making explosive allegations against Ross of trying to lose games intentionally and of tampering with a certain star quarterback.

The lawsuit messed up everything, per the source. The plan to hire a white coach and a white team president without going through the Rooney Rule probably wouldn’t fly once the Dolphins were sued for racial discrimination.

Flores’s accusations of tanking and tampering put the issue of cellphones and discovery at play for Ross and Brady. The lawsuit simply brought too much heat to the situation, and Ross and Brady had to call off the arrangement.”

It sure sounds like Tom Brady had a whole plan mapped out to position himself as an owner in retirement while finishing his playing career in a familiar city. Unfortunately for him, the whole thing appears to have fallen apart fast.

Now, Brady finds himself back with the Buccaneers for (at least) another season. And some have speculated that he played a role in Bruce Arians going from head coach to the front office.

But keep an eye out for what Tom Brady looks to do after this season. Knowing him, he has a few more business moves up his sleeve.

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