The Raiders didn’t simply forget to interview Mike Vrabel before he landed with the Patriots. Vrabel told his former Patriots teammate Tom Brady — who owns a minority stake in the Raiders — that he probably was going to end up back in New England, according to an NFL Network report.

Coach Mike Vrabel addressed the report that he told Las Vegas Raiders minority owner Tom Brady that he was taking the New England Patriots job. That conversation reportedly led to the Raiders passing on interviewing Vrabel altogether. However, according to Vrabel, that might not have been specifically how things went.

A coaching journey he needed to take, and the former star linebacker uniquely suited to put a faltering franchise back on track.