Earlier this week, NFL legend Tom Brady was linked to the Miami Dolphins. Based on the report, Brady was seemingly mulling a return to the NFL after retiring from the league earlier this year.
Now, Brady has come forward himself to claim that he simply wouldn’t have the time to return to the league.
Anyone who thinks I have time to come back to the NFL has never adopted a 2 month old kitten for their daughter. https://t.co/Qzf2H4vr1j
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) March 7, 2023
Of course, there is a bit of humor embedded in Brady’s response, but Dolphins fans would be wise to take seven-time Super Bowl champion at his word.
Brady is 45 years old and will be 46 by the time the 2023 NFL regular season begins. He’s rewritten the rules when it comes to a star quarterback managing to extend his prime years, but Father Time has definitely caught up to Brady.
Last season, his production fell quite a bit compared to that of the previous campaign. In the 2021 season, he passed for a jaw-dropping 5,316 yards and 43 touchdowns. Last season, he went for just 4,694 yards and 25 touchdowns.
He still produced at a high level, but he just didn’t look quite as in control of the ball and game as he had through much of his legendary career. In fact, his Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished the season with a losing record of 8-9 and only advanced to the playoffs by winning the incredibly weak NFC South.
The Bucs were bounced in the playoffs after just one game. They were dominated by the Dallas Cowboys. Despite the fact that Brady tossed 66 passes in that game, he finished with just a 53.0 completion percentage for 351 yards, two scores and one interception.
As for the Dolphins, they’d be wise not to try to hitch their hopes and dreams to a 45-year-old quarterback. Still, it’s not as though the Dolphins don’t have some serious concerns at the position.
Tua Tagovailoa showed major progress during the 2022 campaign and looked fantastic throughout the season. The only issue is that he once again failed to stay on the field for the whole season due to injuries.
He suffered two concussions during the regular season and was forced to miss the Dolphins’ sole playoff game as a result of his second concussion. Of course, the injuries are not at all Tagovailoa’s fault, but the team has to consider his longevity and health going forward.
So, while Brady may not be headed to Miami to play football anytime soon, the Dolphins may still be on the search for another option at the quarterback position.
