Report: Tom Brady Didn't Really Want Raiders, Who Didn't Really Want Him
BOSTON (CBS) -- As soon as Tom Brady's free agency became a national talking point, the idea of TB12 donning the silver and black of the Raiders as they move into their glitzy new home in Las Vegas became one that many folks warmed to with ease.
Apparently, though, it's an idea that neither Brady nor the Raiders really loved.
Despite Brady's face-to-face with Mark Davis at a UFC event in Vegas, despite unverified reports of Brady purchasing real estate in the Vegas area, and despite endless chatter about a possible Jon Gruden-Tom Brady union, a new report says that the Raiders' pursuit of Brady -- and vice versa -- never got too serious.
The Athletic's Vic Tafur reported that the Raiders were "sniffing around" Brady when the legal tampering window began, but never really put forth a concrete offer.
Tafur wrote:
The Raiders weren't going to go as high as the guaranteed $25 million per year for two years that the Bucs gave the 42-year-old quarterback — the game film the last two years just didn't warrant that in the Raiders' minds.
But my understanding is that it was more about fit than money for Brady, and the Raiders never got that nod from Brady that they were a serious finalist.
Turns out, most of that speculation about Brady and Vegas was all just a bunch of hot air. And with the Raiders' fan base still sore over the tuck rule, that's probably for the best.
(But you can bet the Raiders' leaking out that Brady's game film from the past two years dissuaded them from seriously pursuing the QB will be added to the list of things Brady would like to prove wrong as he heads to Tampa Bay.)