Tampa Bay Bucs prepare to take on Miami Dolphins amid tampering scandal

TAMPA, Fla. - The Bucs have one more team practice before their first – and only – preseason game at Raymond James Stadium.

Tampa Bay and the Miami Dolphins' final, two-hour joint practice will take place Thursday morning at One Buc Place. The game kicks off Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Despite the excitement for the NFL season to begin, the Dolphins are at the center of a tampering scandal, for which it has now been fined. The team tried in to get quarterback Tom Brady down to South Florida while he was under contract with the New England Patriots, the league confirmed in early August.

The NFL notified the Miami Dolphins on August 2 that the team would be stripped of its 2023 first-round pick, among other disciplinary measures, for violations of league policies relating to the integrity of the game.

MORE: Miami Dolphins stripped of draft picks for 'unprecedented' tampering with Tom Brady, Sean Payton

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, however, told reporters Wednesday that "nothing happened" when asked about what went down between the team and the quarterback years ago. Instead of acquiring Brady, the Dolphins drafted Tua Tagovailoa with the sixth pick in 2020.

Bucs Quarterback Tom Brady (left) and Dolphins Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (right) 

Meanwhile, it was hard to miss the Dolphins fans during joint training on Wednesday at Bucs training camp. Bucs fans were having none of it, especially in light of the tampering scandal. Taunts could be heard in the bleachers.

READ: Dolphins fans tamper way into Bucs training camp

There is a chance the rivalry among fans will resume Thursday, with fans once again attending Day 2 of the joint-training camp practice. To get in, fans had to become a "Buccaneers Krewe Member" to unlock access to training camp tickets.

There's a no-bag policy. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.