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.

The Raiders felt like another potential fit for Vrabel after firing head coach Antonio Pierce, given Vrabel’s evident ties with Las Vegas minority owner Tom Brady.

Mike Vrabel was believed to be a candidate for the Las Vegas Raiders’ vacant head coaching job. However, he was never interviewed by the organization because he reportedly told his former teammate—and Raiders minority owner—Tom Brady that he was going to New England, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.