Tom Brady might appear to be somewhat connected to the Seattle Seahawks and new quarterback Sam Darnold, but seemingly only because Brady's Las Vegas Raiders traded for quarterback Geno Smith this offseason. But there is more to Brady and the Darnold situation.
Before Seattle dealing Smith to Las Vegas, the Raiders knew they were going to be looking for a new QB1 for the 2025 season. Among the options was Darnold, who was set to be a free agent. Darnold was considered by many to be the top free agent quarterback on the market.
The Seahawks focused directly on the former Minnesota Vikings quarterback after dealing Smith to the Raiders, and Seattle signed their target on day one of the legal tampering period.
Seahawks fans have to hope that Tom Brady is wrong about Sam Darnold
As it turns out, even if the Raiders had not acquired Geno Smith, they were not going to be interested in Sam Darnold. Tom Brady, a minority owner with a big say in how the Raiders put their roster together, didn't want Darnold.
According to Michael Silver of The Athletic, "While some believed the Las Vegas Raiders would try to sign Darnold, minority owner Tom Brady—a seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback whose opinion held great sway—was not in favor of that approach, according to a source familiar with the franchise’s internal discussions."
What Brady's true approach would have been is unknown. He couldn't have known that the Seahawks were willing to trade Smith until only a few days before the opening of free agency. Seattle had no plans to do so until Smith requested to be moved.
Perhaps, Brady would have rather taken a quarterback high in the 2025 NFL draft if the team had not acquired Smith, but one thing seems certain: Tom Brady is not a big fan of Sam Darnold, and Brady doesn't think Darnold is a true long-term QB1.
Seahawks general manager John Schneider certainly does as he signed Seattle's new QB1 to a three-year deal worth as much as $100.5 million. There is no guaranteed money in seasons two and three, so maybe even Schneider is not completely trustworthy of Darnold's future success.
Brady, though, wasn't even one season sure that Darnold would help the Raiders win games in 2025 and beyond. Seahawks fans have to hope that John Schneider made the correct move and that Tom Brady is wrong. This issue is that Brady has not often been wrong in his football career.