Stephen Ross knew adding Tom Brady to the Miami Dolphins' ownership group would add a level of prestige and notoriety to the franchise. And the consternation it would cause in New England would be a nice bonus.
That's what The Boston Globe's Ben Volin reported Friday as he laid out Miami's plan to bring the future Hall of Fame quarterback aboard -- a plan that, according to multiple reports, ultimately was scrapped after Brian Flores filed a class-action discrimination lawsuit against the Dolphins.
"Ross badly wanted Brady -- in part to bring sizzle to the Dolphins, in part to stick it to the Patriots," Volin wrote. "For Brady, it was an opportunity to get into the business side of the NFL, with the goal of one day fronting his own ownership group."
Volin also explained Brady's "two big connections" to the Dolphins, who play in the same division as the quarterback's former team.
"One is the University of Michigan; Brady is its star alumnus, and Ross has his name on its business school," Volin wrote. "The other is Dolphins minority owner Bruce Beal, who is Brady’s friend and has joined Brady on at least one trip to the Kentucky Derby."
A report Thursday from ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio indicated Ross -- who allegedly attempted to convince Flores, Miami's head coach at the time, to illegally recruit Brady after the 2019 season -- wanted to bring Brady on as both a minority owner and the Dolphins' starting quarterback this offseason, with Sean Payton serving as head coach. After those plans fell through, Brady ended his brief six-week retirement and returned to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
With one year left on his Bucs contract, hopes of a Brady-Dolphins pairing theoretically could come to fruition next offseason.
