Raiders’ Darren Waller convinced Tom Brady ‘was a lock’ to sign with Las Vegas back in 2020

Prior to departing New England and deciding to join the Buccaneers, the Las Vegas Raiders were one of the teams that were reportedly interested in signing quarterback Tom Brady.

Raiders tight end Darren Waller decided to address the former possible link between Brady and Las Vegas.

“I’ve heard it from multiple sources that I respect and I’ve been close to,” Waller told Forbes last week. “They’re like, ‘Yeah, Brady to the Raiders was a lock.'”

Instead, Brady went on to win the seventh Super Bowl of his career in his first season in Tampa Bay in 2020. After 23 seasons, the future Hall of Fame quarterback announced he was “retiring for good” earlier this month.

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Before the 2022 season kicked off, UFC president Dana White claimed he was personally involved in the Raiders plans to acquire Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski.

“I worked to put that deal together for Brady and Gronk to come to the Raiders,” White said in August during an appearance on “UFC 278 with the Gronks.”

White added that it was Jon Gruden who nixed the plan: “It was almost a done deal. At the last minute, Gruden blew the deal up and said that he didn’t want them.”

In an interview with the Las Vegas Review Journal in August 2022, Raiders owner Mark Davis said he did not recall a deal involving Brady and Gronkwski.

“I heard about [White’s comments]. 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. Dana has the stories.”

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Gruden was named the Raiders head coach for his stint with the team in 2018 with quarterback Derek Carr under center. Carr is a free agent after he was released by the Raiders last week.

But, Gruden stepped down last year amid a scandal in which leaked emailed showed his use of misogynistic and homophobic language in messages over a seven-year period. 

Waller was named to the Pro Bowl in 2020 and signed a three-year, $51 million extension last year. 

When it comes to who the next quarterback for the Raiders will be, he said he does not have any influence over the decision.

“I have no input. So I’m waiting to see what happens just like everyone else,” he said.

But Waller would be in favor of the team landing four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers this offseason.

“Anybody who’s ever played football would be on board with Aaron Rodgers coming to the team,” he said. “If he comes to the team, I will not be disappointed.”