Miami Dolphins

At least one NFL executive believes there is a good chance quarterback Tom Brady and coach Sean Payton will join the Miami Dolphins in 2023.

According to Mike Sando of The Athletic, the anonymous exec said: "If Tom Brady does not redo his contract, it does not take a rocket scientist to know that Brady and Sean are going to be in Miami next year."

ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio reported Thursday that Brady had been planning to join the Dolphins as a minority owner when he retired on Feb. 1. The plan then would have been for Miami to acquire Payton to be the head coach, followed by Brady coming out of retirement and the Dolphins acquiring his contractual rights from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Dolphins reportedly decided to reverse course when former head coach Brian Flores filed a discrimination lawsuit against the organization on the same day Brady retired.

Brady still came out of retirement, but he will play for the Bucs once again in 2022.

Meanwhile, Payton decided to step away from coaching this season, which led to the Saints elevating defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Payton made it clear that he is not permanently retired, however, and may consider head-coaching opportunities in the future.

Brady has only one year remaining on his contract, meaning he could conceivably play anywhere he desires in 2023 if he chooses to continue his playing career.

The 44-year-old veteran has already firmly established himself as the greatest player of all time at his position with seven Super Bowl wins, five Super Bowl MVP awards and three NFL MVP awards to his credit, but he continues to perform at an elite level.

Last season, Brady finished second in NFL MVP voting when he completed 67.5 percent of his passes for 5,316 yards, 43 touchdowns and 12 interceptions for the 13-4 Bucs.

Tampa fell to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round of the playoffs, but the Buccaneers are considered top contenders to win it all in 2022.

While head coach Bruce Arians moved into a front office role, he is being replaced by defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, and most of the key players from the past two seasons are returning as well.

An eighth career Super Bowl win and second in three seasons is within reach for Brady, and if it comes to fruition, it is fair to wonder if that will affect his decision for 2023 and beyond.

If Brady does want to keep playing in 2023 and chooses to play for the Dolphins, Miami would likely have to move on from Tua Tagovailoa just three seasons into his career.

The trickier move would involve Payton since the Dolphins would have to send compensation to the Saints in order to land him. Miami also just hired former San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel as its head coach this offseason.

Given that the Dolphins haven't reached the playoffs since 2016, the front office may be willing to move heaven and earth to land Brady and Payton next offseason, especially if they are left out of the playoffs again in 2022.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said a player used to come to practice drunk during his tenure with the Miami Dolphins.

“He was a dynamic football player, but he came in every day just reeking of alcohol," Campbell said of the player. "He was probably on a bender for who knows how long, but god he loved football. He showed up, he didn’t have any M.A.'s [missed assignments], he hustled non-stop, and it’s like, you know what? You’ll find a way to make that guy work.

"Not saying we want those guys, but he loved ball, and he had success. And he's still playing today, by the way."

Campbell was on the Dolphins as an assistant and interim head coach from 2010 to 2015. The fact his tenure was so long ago and the player continues to be active narrows the number of players he could possibly be speaking about. 

Campbell did not identify the player. 

The idea of allowing a drunk player to take the field is dangerously negligent. While Campbell noted the player did not make any mistakes practicing drunk, coaches allowing someone to play a contact sport while under the influence of alcohol put every other player on the field at an unnecessary risk.

It's something that should not have happened and probably not something Campbell should have publicly admitted. 

Tom Brady was reportedly almost a division rival of the New England Patriots.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Brady initially planned on becoming a minority owner of the Miami Dolphins when he announced his retirement in February. Miami then planned on pursuing former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton with the idea of putting together a "package deal" featuring Brady.

With Brady as a minority owner, the Dolphins would have then attempted to get his contractual rights from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to add him to the playing roster.

Florio reported the plan ended when former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores filed a lawsuit against the NFL and its teams alleging racist hiring practices and discrimination.

As part of the lawsuit, Flores alleged Miami owner Stephen Ross offered him $100,000 for each loss during the 2019 season in an effort to improve the team's draft position. What's more, Flores said Ross pressured him into recruiting a "prominent quarterback," which would have violated the league's tampering rules.

Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post reported that quarterback was Brady.

Brady is now back with Tampa Bay, but Florio pointed out he can become a free agent in 2023 and may look to join a team such as the Dolphins. He also described Brady's initial retirement as "[not] a retirement from football but an attempted retirement from the Buccaneers."

The all-time great will be 45 years old in August, but age didn't seem to be an issue in 2021 when he completed 67.5 percent of his passes for a league-best 5,316 yards, 43 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while leading Tampa Bay to an NFC South crown.

It was yet another incredible season for the future Hall of Famer. His collection of seven Super Bowl rings is one more than any franchise in the NFL.

Brady joining the Dolphins in the AFC East would be quite the development considering most of his career and six of those Super Bowl rings came with the division-rival Patriots from 2000 through 2019, but those plans are at least temporarily on hold.              

The Kansas City Chiefs traded wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins for a package of draft picks on Wednesday,

Kansas City will receive a first-round pick, a second-round pick and a fourth-round pick in 2022 and a fourth-round pick and a sixth-round pick in 2023.

ESPN's Adam Schefter, who first reported details of the deal, noted the Chiefs also had a deal with the New York Jets in place:

Schefter also relayed, per agent Drew Rosenhaus, that Hill agreed to a new four-year, $120 million extension with the Dolphins, making him the highest-paid wideout in the NFL, as measured by average annual value. Davante Adams had reset the market with his five-year, $140 million deal from the Las Vegas Raiders ($28 million per season).

On the field, the 28-year-old has been one of the most dynamic playmakers in football. In 2019 he was a major part of Kansas City's Super Bowl-winning team, catching 58 passes for 860 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games. 

He was also excellent in the postseason, notching 17 receptions for 213 yards and two scores. 

He reprised his success in 2020, catching 87 passes for 1,276 yards and 15 touchdowns, adding two rushing scores to his impressive tally. The Chiefs returned to the Super Bowl, though Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ruined their repeat hopes. 

And in 2021, he caught 111 passes for 1,239 yards and nine scores. 

Combined with Travis Kelce, Hill helped give 2018 NFL MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes a pair of incredible weapons in the passing game.

He will offer the Dolphins a field-stretching threat and an elusive player with the ball in his hands who regularly breaks off big scoring plays. There's no question he's a dynamic playmaker on the field and one who could transform Miami's offense.

Off the field, though, he was investigated in March 2019 by Overland Park police for potential child abuse, including an instance when his three-year-old son reportedly suffered a broken arm.

Audio was also publicly released of a man who was reportedly Hill telling his fiancee, Crystal Espinal, that, "You need to be terrified of me too, b---h" after she said on the tape that Hill's son was terrified of him.

He was not charged by authorities, however, and the NFL did not suspend him.

Additionally, in Aug. 2015, Hill pleaded guilty to domestic assault and battery by strangulation of Espinal and served three years probation. The conviction was later dismissed and expunged from his record as a part of his plea agreement. 

The Chiefs had banned Hill from all team-related activities in the 2019 offseason while the NFL investigated him, though he returned to the club after the league didn't suspend him, saying it did not find conclusive evidence he violated the personal conduct policy, and he was an important part of the team over the past three seasons. 

Veteran offensive lineman Terron Armstead agreed to a new deal with the Miami Dolphins on Tuesday, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The deal is worth more than $75 million over five years, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero:

Armstead, 30, has spent his entire NFL career with the New Orleans Saints (2013-2021) before this offseason, making three Pro Bowls with the team. He was a part of five playoff teams during that time.

While injuries have played a major part in Armstead's career—he's missed 11 games in the past two seasons alone and underwent offseason knee surgery—it doesn't come as a surprise that he got a lengthy deal. ESPN's Kevin Seifert ranked him as the No. 2 overall free agent in January, behind only wide receiver Davante Adams.

Left tackles come at a premium in the modern NFL. Left tackles with multiple Pro Bowls in their past—even ones who will be 31 when the next season starts and have an injury history—are worth their weight in gold.

As Pro Football Focus noted, "Armstead has consistently been one of the best tackles in football since he was drafted in 2013, earning an overall grade above 75.0 every year except for his rookie campaign."

Given the Saints' cap issues—they were projected to be $74 million over the cap—and the sense that the team is entering something of a rebuilding mode with Sean Payton departing as head coach, it isn't shocking that Armstead departed as a free agent. The Saints came into the offseason with safety Marcus Williams and quarterback Jameis Winston also set to hit free agency.

Still, it's a huge loss for the Saints. Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will be pretty thrilled with Armstead protecting his blind side, however.

Miami had to address the offensive line in either free agency or the draft after the unit was one of the worst in football in 2021. Armstead will be a huge boost at left tackle, solidifying a major position of need.

The Dolphins have committed to Tagovailoa as the starter going forward. Signing Armstead is a major move forward toward protecting him.

The Miami Dolphins reportedly plan on signing quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to a one-year deal to backup Tua Tagovailoa, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk reported Bridgewater will make $6.5 million in 2022, with the deal containing an additional $3.5 million in incentives.

Bridgewater spent most of the 2021 season as the Denver Broncos' starting quarterback after being acquired in an offseason trade with the Carolina Panthers.

The 29-year-old Miami native completed 66.9 percent of his throws for 3,052 yards with 18 touchdowns and just seven interceptions in 14 games. He ranked 20th in ESPN's adjusted QBR (47.3) and received a solid 73.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

He suffered a head injury in a scary collision during a December game against the Cincinnati Bengals that led to a hospital stay and ultimately landed him on season-ending injured reserve.

In January, Bridgewater told the Associated Press' Arnie Stapleton the incident didn't lead him to consider retirement, saying he viewed himself as a survivor after previously overcoming a career-threatening knee injury while a member of the Minnesota Vikings in 2016.

"Yeah, that's the nature of the business. You survive, man. And I tell everyone, I've been through the [unpredictability of the] NFL offseason the past couple of years and I understand things happen, decisions are made and it's business," he said. "But I'm still gonna survive, man. No matter where or how it happens, I've just got to have that mindset always."

Denver went 0-3 down the stretch under the offensive guidance of Drew Lock following the 2015 Pro Bowler's injury after going 7-7 with him as the starter.

Bridgewater previously made 28 starts for the Vikings (2014-17), six for the New Orleans Saints (2018-19) and 15 for the Panthers (2020).

His 90.7 career passer rating across 73 career appearances ranks 15th among active quarterbacks.

While injuries have derailed Bridgewater's career at times, he's proved himself as a reliable quarterback when healthy as he arrives in Miami. He's been a solid starter for the Panthers and Broncos in recent years and also has experience as a backup being thrust into the No. 1 role for New Orleans.

He'll open as the backup upon his arrival to the Dolphins.

The Miami Dolphins reportedly have signed running back Chase Edmonds to a two-year, $12.6 million deal with $6.1 million guaranteed, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. 

Edmonds is coming off a 2021 season in which he recorded a career-high 903 yards from scrimmage across 12 appearances for the Arizona Cardinals.

The 25-year-old Fordham product has never been asked to take on the role of an unquestioned No. 1 back for a full year since the Cards selected him in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL draft, but he's emerged as a productive member of a backfield committee.

He's averaged 4.7 yards per rush and 7.2 yards per catch across four seasons. He's also tallied 14 total touchdowns across 57 career games.

Edmonds, who split the Arizona backfield with James Conner in 2021, said in August he's always hated the term "RB1" and wouldn't worry about trying to become "the guy" on a depth chart.

"I'll approach it how I always approach my work and my craft—very businesslike, come out here and be the best ball player I can be and the best teammate I can be," he told reporters.

That said, he's shown he can handle a larger role when called upon. He played 92 percent of the offensive snaps in the Cardinals Week 16 game against the Indianapolis Colts, finishing with 127 total yards and a touchdown.

Edmonds brings dual-threat playmaking ability to the Dolphins, who are coming off a year in which they ranked 30th in the run game (92.2 yards per contest). Adding another potential game-changer to the backfield should only help bolster the unit.

He'll be an upgrade over Myles Gaskin, who rushed for just 612 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games last season. 

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores said Wednesday the Dolphins are "trying to push" the allegations he levied in a lawsuit against them "into secret arbitration proceedings that lack transparency."

Flores also questioned whether NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will "allow this case and future race discrimination claims to play out in a transparent and public legal process":

The 41-year-old, who has since joined the Pittsburgh Steelers as a defensive assistant and linebackers coach, filed suit against the NFL and named three teams as defendants. He asserted the league "remains rife with racism, particularly when it comes to the hiring and retention of Black head coaches, coordinators and general managers."

In one of the more explosive allegations, Flores said Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered him $100,000 for every game the team lost in 2019 as it entered a rebuild.

Ross denied the allegations laid out in the lawsuit but remains the subject of a league investigation. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported in February the "discipline could be severe, up to and including Ross losing the team by a vote of fellow owners."

The ongoing lawsuit has also put the NFL under the spotlight. Concerns similar to those voiced by Flores have been echoed for years.

The NFL initially responded to the suit on Feb. 1 and said it "will defend against these claims, which are without merit." Four days later, however, Goodell wrote a memo to all 32 teams and explained the matter would be vetted thoroughly, striking a different tone from the NFL's previous statement:

Flores gave an interview to CBS Mornings in February and said how his lawsuit was "bigger than coaching," alluding to any professional repercussions he might experience.

"We're at a fork in the road right now," he said (h/t CBS Sports' Jordan Dajani). "We're either gonna keep it the way it is, or we're gonna go in another direction and actually make some real change."

In recent months, many criticized what they saw as a lack of transparency regarding the details unearthed during the NFL's investigation into the workplace culture of the Washington Commanders. The House Committee on Oversight and Reform even inserted itself into the matter.

If Flores' suit is sent to arbitration, those critics will likely raise the same questions over the NFL's desire to meaningfully address the problems that were laid out.