Mark Davis doesn’t remember details of the alleged deal that nearly brought Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020.
At least, that’s what he’s going with.
The Raiders owner was asked about the story that UFC President Dana White told last weekend where he claimed that he helped broker a deal that almost brought Brady and Gronkowski to the Raiders instead of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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While Davis heard the story, he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, he didn’t remember much, if any, of the particulars.
“I heard about [White’s comments],” Davis said, via the Review-Journal. “That was what, two to three years ago or something? I don’t know. Talk to Dana. I remember that Tom Brady went to Tampa Bay. That’s basically what I remember.
“I have no idea. Dana has the stories. I love Dana. He is a great, great promoter.”
Brady, Gronk to the Raiders?
White was speaking on the “UFC with the Gronks” broadcast during UFC 278 on Saturday night, and said that he had “worked to put that deal” together before former Raiders coach Jon Gruden bailed.
“It was almost a done deal,” White said. “And at the last minute, Gruden blew the deal up and said he didn’t want them. And all hell broke loose, man. It was crazy.”
The deal was apparently so far along, White said, that Brady was “already looking at houses.”
Gronkowski confirmed the story on that broadcast.
“Dana, that is exactly what happened,” he replied.
Instead, Brady left the Patriots for the Buccaneers, where he and Gronkowski quickly led them to a Super Bowl win, the seventh of Brady’s career.
Davis didn’t deny that there was a deal, but it makes sense why he isn’t confirming it. Brady was a free agent at the time, but Gronkowski, while technically retired, was still under contract with the Patriots. If they had a deal in place to land him, it could be considered tampering.
The league recently took two draft picks away from the Miami Dolphins for tampering in trying to land Brady and former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton.
While Brady apparently wasn’t happy about the deal falling through, according to White, it’s probably a safe bet that he’s happy with how things worked out.
The 45-year-old is gearing up for his third year with the Buccaneers this fall, and they’ve got the second-best odds on BetMGM to win the Super Bowl this season.