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By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
Raiders owner Mark Davis spoke to LVSportsBiz.com today about Dana White’s claim last week that White brokered a deal to bring former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020 as a free agent before, according to White, former Raiders coach Jon Gruden killed the Brady-to-Vegas arrangement.
Brady ended up in Tampa Bay in 2020, and the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl that season. (Ironically, Tampa Bay defeated the Raiders, 45-20, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Oct. 25, 2020. Brady threw four touchdown passes that day.)
Before Friday’s Raiders vs. New England Patriots preseason game in Allegiant Stadium, Davis had questions for White: “He said it was a done deal. How much money was the deal and for how many years? And who did the negotiating? And what was his fee?”
Davis was ticked off at White’s contention on ESPN program “UFC 278 with the Gronks” Saturday that the UFC president arranged a deal to bring Brady to the Las Vegas Raiders.
“I don’t know any of these things,” Davis said of the terms of the deal of bringing Brady to the Raiders in 2020. Asked what he thought of White’s Brady-to-Raiders comments Saturday, “I’m not thinking for Dana.”
Brady signed with Tampa Bay, while former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowki was acquired by the Buccaneers via a trade after Gronkowski had retired. The Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs to win the Super Bowl with Brady leading the charge that season, while the Raiders finished 8-8 under Gruden and current quarterback Derek Carr in 2020. Gruden resigned in 2021 amid an email scandal and has sued the NFL.
LVSportsBiz.com reached White Friday and the UFC president said his role was setting up the Brady-to-Vegas deal, not negotiating the terms of an agreement.
“I never said I did a deal,” White told LVSportsBiz.com. “I set up the deal. I talked Brady into coming to Vegas.”
White stressed to LVSportsBiz.com in a text that, “I would have NEVER told that story publicly. Gronk caught me off guard on live TV.”
On Saturday’s ESPN show, Gronkowski coaxed White into telling the story about White’s role in convincing Brady to come to Las Vegas to play for the Raiders.
White is from the Boston area and has a box at Allegiant Stadium. He said he even attended Friday’s game between the Raiders and Patriots. Las Vegas defeated New England, 23-6, to achieve the franchise’s first undefeated preseason at 4-0.
As for Carr, he was asked about the White/Brady/Raiders story at his presser at Raiders HQ earlier this week.
Carr said the Brady talk was of no importance to him and he liked answering only football questions.
Carr included these three words in his comments: “No more drama.”