Bill Belichick finally speaks on NFL punishing Dolphins over Tom Brady tampering

Bill Belichick was Tom Brady's coach when the Dolphins were tampering with him ahead of 2020 free agency. The quarterback ultimately chose the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Still, Belichick doesn't care about the ongoing tampering scandal that saw Dolphins owner Stephen Ross suspended until mid-October and fined $1.5 million.

Reporters pressed the coach for a response regarding illegal attempts by a division rival to poach his prized signal-calling superstar. Belichick gave an answer straight from the Bill Belichick playbook:

“I’m focused on training camp. That’s all in the past. Yeah, I’m not worried about that. I’m just trying to get training camp in.”

The NFL announced on Tuesday that it had stripped the Dolphins of their 2023 first-round pick and 2024 third-round pick for tampering with Brady. It also noted that Miami had “impermissible contact” with former Saints head coach Sean Payton. Ross' plan was to rope Payton in as HC and Brady as a part-owner before acquiring his rights as a player.

Mike Florio explains why Bill Belichick's Patriots, the Saints, or the Bucs weren't compensated

New England Patriots v Miami Dolphins

Given the NFL's tampering punishment handed out to the Dolphins organization and ownership, one would think that the league would then award compensation to the franchises affected.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio explained the origin of the investigation and how, because none of the affected teams (Patriots, Saints, Buccaneers) were the ones to open up the case, none will be rewarded:

"The tampering policy makes the 'offended club' (as used in the rule) eligible for compensation 'if it certifies a complaint that initiates an investigation against the offending club.'"

"The policy also states that, 'if the offended club declined or otherwise failed to certify such a complaint after the facts of the matter became known or reasonably should have become known to the offended club, the offended club may not receive any potential award of compensation.'

"This language, coupled with the lack of compensation for the Patriots (as to Brady), Buccaneers (as to Brady), or Saints (as to Payton), suggests that the investigation occurred not because of a complaint or certification made by any of those teams."

"It’s possible, if not likely, that the investigation was sparked by the reference in the Brian Flores lawsuit to an alleged effort by the team in 2019 to tamper with an unnamed quarterback."

Of course, Bill Belichick was the one that arguably caused all of this with a congratulatory text meant for Brian Daboll getting the Giants HC job going to Brian Flores instead.