After UFC president Dana White dropped the bombshell that Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski almost joined the Raiders in 2020, the internet had a field day. However, Raiders and Aces owner Mark Davis appears to barely remember the deal that never was.
“I heard about [White’s comments],” Davis told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Sunday. “That was what—two to three years ago or something? I don’t know, man. Talk to Dana. I remember that Tom Brady went to Tampa Bay. That’s basically what I remember.
“I have no idea,” Davis continued. “Dana has the stories. I love Dana. He is a great, great promoter. Why would this make me upset? I was busy watching [the Raiders beat the Dolphins 15-13] and the basketball game [Saturday].”
White told the story Saturday during an appearance on ESPN’s UFC 278 with The Gronks special where Gronkowski confirmed the story. At the time in 2020, Brady was looking for a new home and Gronkowski was in the midst of a year-long retirement despite plans to return to the NFL with Brady. But after former Raiders coach Jon Gruden changed his mind at the last second, the plans for a reunion in Las Vegas were firmly dashed.
“I worked to put that deal together for Brady and Gronk to come to the Raiders,” White said. “And it was almost a done deal and, at the last minute, Gruden blew the deal up and said that he didn’t want ’em. All hell broke loose, man, it was crazy.”
