Tom Brady Was Close to Signing Raiders Contract in 2020 NFL FA, Mark Davis Says

A difference of opinion internally ruined the Las Vegas Raiders' attempt to sign legendary quarterback Tom Brady as a free agent in 2020, according to team owner Mark Davis.

In an interview with former NBA star Baron Davis for the Raiders' in-house media (via Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith), the owner recounted how head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock weren't on board with signing Brady.

"That's when our relationship started, was in 2020 when he was a free agent and we talked to him about coming here to play quarterback," Davis said. "Obviously, it was a tough decision, he was close to coming here, but the head coach and general manager decided they wanted to go in a different direction. So, we didn't sign him, but as I got to know him through that process, I let his agent know that when he was done playing, I would like him to be a part of our organization."

This narrative aligns with comments UFC president Dana White made in 2022. White said he worked behind the scenes to get both Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski to Las Vegas, only for Gruden to intervene.

Veteran tight end Darren Waller, who played for the Raiders from 2018-22, has also said the franchise was close to landing the seven-time Super Bowl champion.

"I've heard it from multiple sources that I respect and I've been close to," he told Forbes' Jeff Fedotin in 2023. "They're like, 'Yeah, Brady to the Raiders was a lock.'"

Gruden was clearly confident in Derek Carr at the time. With the benefit of hindsight, Brady would've been the better option. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won a championship in his first year there and then made the playoffs in 2022 and 2023.

But it's not as simple as assuming the Bucs' on-field success would've carried over to the Raiders.

Las Vegas had a top-10 offense in both yards and points in 2020, and that was only enough to win eight games. That's because the team had a bottom-10 defense, one that allowed 30-plus points in 10 games.

Then there's all of the off-field drama, including Gruden's resignation, in 2021 that overshadowed what was happening on the field.

Not even Brady would've been able to mask the Raiders' wider failings around that period.