Back in 2020, Tom Brady was in pursuit of a new home in the NFL. Being a six-time Super Bowl champion, it wasn’t difficult to find a new landing spot. In Fact, he was a hot prospect, and eventually, the Buccaneers were lucky to sign a deal with the quarterback. But as per the recent revelations made by the UFC president Dana White, Tom Brady was destined to play for the Las Vegas Raiders. The then-head coach Jon Gruden turned him down in the last minute over Derek Carr for the position.
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Moreover, the deal was not just for Tom Brady; it included Rob Gronkowski joining the franchise. However, they seem to have missed a chance to win the Super Bowl, which Brady and Gronk did in their first year with the Buccaneers.
However, Gruden was unfazed by his decision. When reporters asked him about the team’s interest in Tom Brady, at that time, Grudon claimed that he had no interest in anybody else other than Derek Carr, who was already decorating the position.
Per the reports shared by NFL insider Ari Meirov, Gruden said, “We love our QB. Our QB is a really good player, Derek Carr. I want to reiterate that to everybody in Vegas. We’ve got a good young QB, and the film, the statistics, and analytics prove it,”.
In 2019, Carr threw for 4,054 yards and registered 21 touchdowns against eight interceptions. So the team was not willing to break the streak and readjust the salary cap space. The entire scene was projected as if no talks were taking place, but the reality was quite different.
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Per the recent updates by Meirov, UFC president Dana White was the man who pushed for a deal and tried his best to bring the NFL veteran to the Raiders.
Dana White reveals his motive to bring Tom Brady to the Raiders
The 53-year-old businessman marked his appearance in the UFC 278 with the Gronks. Rob Gronkowski as a host, asked White about the reason behind Brady failing to sign a deal with the Raiders. White mentioned that he tried his best, and the deal was almost on the table, but Gruden ruined it at the last moment.
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“I worked to put that deal together for Brady and Gronk to come to the Raiders,” White said. “It was almost a done deal. At the last minute, Gruden blew the deal up and said that he didn’t want them,” he added.
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Well, the days have passed and as of now neither the Raiders nor the fans seem to have any regrets about not signing Brady. Although the GOAT’s career in the upcoming season remains uncertain. With the recent developments inside the Buccaneers’ locker room, it will be interesting to see what’s ahead for the oldest quarterback in the NFL.
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