Dana White says Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski Almost Landed in Las Vegas

In a different world, Tom Brady and Gronkowski would've teamed up out west rather than in Tampa.

You may have heard a rumor recently that sounds so outlandish it never could have happened. And no, we're not talking about Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady competing on The Masked Singer.

Instead, this is the story of the combat sports president who almost helped broker a deal that would have made all of Raider Nation suddenly forget about any tuck rules.

READ MORE: Aaron Stinnie Leaves Preseason Game with Knee Injury

As the Bucs were busy playing the Tennessee Titans on Saturday night for their second preseason game of the year, and just as the contest was getting to the point where most people turned it off and went about the rest of their weekend, something interesting happened.

UFC president Dana White said on UFC 278 with the Gronks that he was orchestrating a deal that would have landed Bucs quarterback Tom Brady, and former tight end Rob Gronkowski in Las Vegas. 

Not to watch a fight. No. But to play for the Las Vegas Raiders.

"I worked to put that deal together for Brady and Gronk to come to the Raiders, and it was almost a done deal," White said during the broadcast. "And at the last minute, Gruden blew the deal up and said that he didn't want him, and all hell broke loose."

But White wasn't finished. When he says last minute, he means last minute. 

"Brady was already looking at houses," White continued. "It wasn't being said yet that Gronk was coming, so Las Vegas would have had Brady and Gronk the year the Bucs won the Super Bowl, except Gruden blew the deal up...I was never going to tell that story..."

So why did he? Because Gronk himself prompted him to, that's why. 

"And Dana, that is exactly what happened," Gronk said after White told the story. "And you just told the story."

READ MORE: Where is Tom Brady?

Not that we didn't know it already, but it turns out that Tom Brady is front page news, even when he's hiding out on a FOX soundstage somewhere, or in Costa Rica...

But if the story is true, which it certainly appears to be, then it turns out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their fans have two Super Bowls to thank Jon Gruden for. 

And wouldn't you know it? A bad quarterback decision by Gruden actually helped the Bucs for a change.

For more on this and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers check out James Yarcho and David Harrison on the Locked On Bucs Podcast!