As if any of us needed more drama surrounding Tom Brady’s departure from the Patriots, but here we are yet again.
A lot has circulated recently about what Brady had been doing while still under contract with the Patriots, but showing interest in joining other teams after the 2019 season. It’s clear Brady wanted out of New England, and he reportedly was ready to pack his bags to not only Miami but potentially Las Vegas.
The stories about the Dolphins’ interest in signing the GOAT are well known by now, with the team being stripped of future draft picks and owner Stephen Ross being fined and suspended for tampering. But now a new layer is added with UFC’s Dana White’s explosive reveal on Saturday night.
What did White say during his appearance?
While appearing on Rob Gronkowski’s new show in partnership with UFC, White explained how he had worked closely with both Brady and Gronk to help move along a deal to have them signed to the Raiders.
“I worked to put that deal together, for Brady and Gronk to come to the Raiders,” he said, “and it was almost a done deal.”
Because this was breaking news to almost everyone watching, he made a point to detail that Brady was serious about the signing, with White claiming he had already been looking at houses before the deal fell apart.
Why did that deal fall apart? “And at the last minute, (Jon) Gruden blew the deal up and said that he didn’t want them,” White stated. Following a big reaction from one of the Gronkowski brothers, he continued by saying, “All hell broke loose, man! It was crazy!”
The segment of course sent shockwaves online, particularly amongst Patriots fans. It became another difficult part of the Patriots and Brady breakup that no one wanted to hear.
But on top of everything, there’s an even more interesting aspect to this story that many have caught on to.
What about that infamous Brady quote?
“One of the teams, they weren’t interested at the very end,” Brady said. “I was thinking, you’re sticking with that motherf–ker?”
Knowing the details about the Raiders deal falling through and it being due to Gruden backing out, it appears the subject of Brady’s quote may have finally been figured out. It must be about Raiders’ quarterback, Derek Carr, right?
There has been so much speculation about who he may have been referencing, with even Carr saying he had heard it wasn’t a reference to him. But the story gets even weirder when remembering more of what Brady has said when speaking about this alleged situation.
During his appearance on The Shop, Brady said, “When I look back I’m like, there’s no f–king way I would’ve went to that team. But they said they didn’t want me. I know what that means, I know what that feels like. And I’m gonna go f–k you up because of that.”
This doesn’t add up with what White said on Saturday night, but Gronk seemingly confirmed what he was saying.
At the end of the day, whether the pair planned to go to the Raiders or not is irrelevant. We know what happened that season and what they went on to do.
But even though that part has been (kind of) finally answered, one question remains; why did Gruden decide he no longer wanted Brady and Gronk? What changed his mind? We may never know.
Dana White says Brady and Gronk ➡️ Raiders "was almost a done deal." 😳 #UFC278 pic.twitter.com/buWEXxi5Ho — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 21, 2022