Brady-Miami talk grows

Pats broadcaster Zolak, a former teammate, says such a move is ‘in play’

Tom Brady may be joining the Miami Dolphins after all, according to several recent reports from NFL media members.

The latest to report that the 45-year-old legendary quarterback will come out of retirement for the second straight season is former New England quarterback Scott Zolak, who is now a member of the Patriots’ broadcast team.

“Brady may go to Miami,” Zolak said Wednesday on NBC Sports Boston. “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.

“This isn’t me saying it,” added Zolak, who spent seven seasons with the Patriots (1992-98) and one season with the Dolphins (1999). “This isn’t someone close to Brady. It started with Rich Eisen. Eisen’s at the [scouting combine]. Multiple people dropped the hints. This is Colin Cowherd, he knows some Fox people. I don’t think he’s going to 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 going to 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 [Dolphins coach] Mike McDaniel in Miami.”

The Dolphins have taken several runs at Brady over the years when he was with the Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, resulting in Miami losing a 2023 first-round pick for tampering with the future Hall of Famer. The Dolphins have steadfastly maintained that Tua Tagovailoa will be their starter this season.

“He’s our quarterback, and he’s our quarterback here to be successful for a long time,” Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said last week at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. “Very excited for him. The strides he made this year with [McDaniel] and the offense, you guys have seen it. It was really exciting. And to see the work he’s put in that you guys don’t see at the facility and around, has been really incredible.”

Tagovailoa had a league-leading 105.5 passer rating and 8.9 yards per attempt last season, plus career highs with 25 touchdowns and 3,548 passing yards.

But durability concerns remain as he missed 5 ½ games while in concussion protocol, which will likely lead to the Dolphins not picking up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract.

The Dolphins have a May 1 deadline to exercise the option that, after the 2023 season, Tagovailoa’s fourth, would keep him under contract in 2024 at $23.1 million.

Brady, who has won seven Super Bowls during his illustrious 23-year career, briefly retired after the 2021 season before coming back for one more year with the Bucs. He led Tampa Bay to a Super Bowl victory in 2021, but the Bucs lost in the first round this past season.

The three-time NFL MVP who was named to 15 Pro Bowls announced his retirement on Feb. 1, saying “I’m retiring. For good.”

That now remains to be seen.