Dolphins Were Ready to Offer Former Saints Head Coach $100 Million to Coach in Miami

It’s been an eventful offseason for the Miami Dolphins.

After they fired head coach Brian Flores, Flores sued the NFL for racial discrimination in its hiring practices and accused Dolphins owner Stephen Ross of offering $100,000 to lose games during the 2019 season.

Miami hired San Francisco 49ers assistant coach Mike McDaniel and traded for Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill. 

They also reportedly made a major play for a big-name head coach, preparing an offer to former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton as well as compensation packages to Payton’s former team in order to make it happen. 

According to a report from the South Florida Sun Sentinel, an offer of 5-years, $100 million was on the table for Payton, which would have made Payton the second-highest coach in the NFL behind New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. 

Sources told the Sun Sentinel that the deal was so close to happening that coaches were looking into places to live in South Florida. 

“It was pretty much done for us to come,” one source said, according to the Sun Sentinel. 

Along with Payton, there have been rumors all offseason about Miami’s flirtation with Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady. 

TOM BRADY ADDRESSES HIS FLIRTATION WITH THE MIAMI DOLPHINS THIS OFFSEASON

Last week, Brady was asked about the possibility of joining the Dolphins during the offseason, and he gave an answer expected from a media-savvy veteran. 

"I had a lot of conversations with a lot of people, as I’ve had for the last three or four years in my career about different opportunities when I’m done playing football," Brady said. "I kind of made a decision of what I’d like to do. I’ll get to be in the game of football.

"I think for me, the most important thing is where I’m at now. And what I hope to do for this team. That’s been my commitment to this team and organization and its been so much fun to come here two years ago. It’s been almost two-and-half years now and it’s been an incredible part of my football journey.” 

SAINTS HC SEAN PAYTON HASN’T COMMITTED TO RETURNING NEXT SEASON

In April, Payton was asked about the rumors and said that if he was to still be coaching in the NFL, it would have been with the Saints. 

"I have no clue about the Tampa Bay, Miami Dolphin, Tom Brady rumor," Payton said. "My understanding is that there a request was put in or that intermediaries talked. I'm like the rest of you. I heard that story.

FOX SIGNS FORMER SAINTS COACH SEAN PAYTON AS ANALYST FOR 2022-23

"If I would have been ready to coach like this year, I would have stayed in New Orleans," Payton said. "And so it's nice to have someone interested and, yeah, that's about it. Look, our focus on Tom Brady has been beating him, not joining him."

The rumor mill is what makes the NFL machine keep rolling throughout the offseason, and while Brady and Payton in Miami is not to be, it sure is fun to dream.