The Dolphins and Buccaneers will hold joint practices in training camp ahead of their preseason opener in Tampa, a league source confirmed to the Miami Herald.
It would mark the second consecutive year the Dolphins conducted joint practices. In 2021, the team held sessions with the Bears ahead of their preseason opener in Chicago and the Atlanta Falcons before their second preseason game in Miami. The Dolphins played the Buccaneers in the 2021 regular season, a 45-17 loss at Raymond James Stadium.
With the NFL reducing the preseason from four games to three and teams opting to play their starters less in the exhibition matches, the joint session, which was first reported by The Athletic, will offer players an opportunity to get productive reps against another opponent before the regular season.
Since the Dolphins don’t play the Buccaneers in the upcoming regular season, the joint sessions and preseason game could reunite them for the last time with quarterback Tom Brady, who announced his retirement before deciding to return for his 23rd season. Brady has been linked to the Dolphins several times during the offseason — from former Dolphins coach Brian Flores’ lawsuit, which alleges team owner Stephen Ross attempted to arrange a meeting between them in winter 2020, to multiple reports that the Dolphins had targeted Brady for a front-office role with the intention of him later becoming the team’s quarterback.
Brady has since agreed to become the lead NFL game analyst for FOX after he retires, casting doubt on a post-retirement future with the Dolphins.
The Dolphins’ preseason opener against the Buccaneers is on Saturday, Aug. 13, at 7:30 p.m. It will be broadcast on CBS.
