It is unknown when Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will return to the lineup coming off his latest concussion that he suffered in this past Thursday’s 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Some began linking the Dolphins with retired signal-caller and living legend Tom Brady as soon as Tagovailoa was sidelined during the prime-time game, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter left little doubt during an update shared on Sunday’s edition of the “NFL Countdown” program that Brady isn’t an option for the Dolphins this time around.
“I know a lot of people suggested Tom Brady, bringing him out of retirement,” Schefter said about the Dolphins’ quarterback situation, per Lauren Campbell of MassLive. “That’s not going to happen with Tom Brady going to Miami.”
Fans and even some former players have openly said since Thursday evening that Tagovailoa needs to consider calling time on his playing career due to the fact that he has dealt with a minimum of three reported concussions since the 2022 season. However, insiders such as Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated have pointed out that “most folks around [Tagovailoa] think” that the 26-year-old will continue playing and work to get cleared for action as soon as possible.
As for Brady, it’s widely believed the seven-time Super Bowl champion had at least some interest in playing for the Dolphins during the 2022 season. He retired in February of that year when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers held his rights but then confirmed the following month he would play another season with Tampa Bay. The Dolphins ultimately were forced to forfeit a pair of draft picks for violating tampering rules regarding Brady and current Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton.
Brady retired from playing “for good” in February 2023 and spent portions of last season preparing to work as Fox’s lead in-game analyst during the ongoing campaign. By all accounts, the 47-year-old also still wants to become a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Brady received mixed reviews for his announcing debut that he made back on Sept. 8, but Richard Deitsch of The Athletic noted that the future Hall of Famer “was sharp and enthusiastic early for viewers” while calling this past Sunday’s game between the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys. Speculating about Brady serving as Miami’s temporary savior may be fun for some, but there’s no indication he would seriously consider an in-season return as backup Skylar Thompson prepares to start Miami’s Week 3 matchup at the 2-0 Seattle Seahawks.
As of Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the 1-1 Dolphins as 6.5-point road underdogs against Seattle.
