Bucs GM has ‘no discussions’ with Tom Brady on Dolphins rumors or new contract
The Tom Brady to the Miami Dolphins rumor saga took another turn this week.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht addressed a report from earlier in April about the Dolphins plan to introduce Brady as a minority owner in February, ESPN reported.
“No, we haven’t had those discussions,” Licht told ESPN. “The only discussions I’ve had, we’ve had, with Tom has been, he came back and we’re excited about this year and we’re excited to get going.”
ESPN reported the Bucs and Brady have not discussed a new contract, either. The seven-time Super Bowl winning quarterback is on the last year of his current contract with the Bucs.
Brady announced his retirement Feb. 1 only to return from retirement March 13.
Additionally, the Bucs offseason has seen Bruce Arians step down as head coach to take a front-office role, while Todd Bowles was promoted to head coach. It will be Brady’s 23rd season in the NFL.
The Brady-to-Dolphins rumor also came up this offseason in “former Dolphins coach Brian Flores’ lawsuit, where he alleges team owner Stephen Ross set up a meeting with Flores and a ‘prominent quarterback in violation of League tampering rules’ after the 2019 season,” according to a Herald report in early April.
That quarterback, according to the report, is believed to be Brady.
The ESPN report also detailed Licht’s response to the rumor that retired Saints coach Sean Payton was linked in joining Brady as the Dolphins head coach prior to the Dolphins hiring of Mike McDaniel.
“I make of it — chatter, just like you said,” Licht said to ESPN. “We’re focused on putting our team together here with the draft, and we’re all excited, we’re all in lockstep here — Tom, Todd [Bowles], myself, Byron [Leftwich], the entire coaching staff — on this season.”
Payton was asked about the Dolphins and Brady rumors at this week’s PGA Tour event, the Zurich Classic, which is held outside New Orleans.
“I wasn’t coaching [this season], I told you guys that already,” Payton said, according to NOLA.com. “If I’d have been ready to coach this year, I would’ve stayed in New Orleans. It’s nice to have someone interested. And yeah, that’s about it. Our focus on Tom Brady has been beating him, not joining him.”
