Sam Darnold's improbable run to the Super Bowl helped silence many doubters who didn't think he could perform in the biggest spots.
While many of those doubters were at home watching on TV, one of them was in the broadcast booth. That would be Tom Brady, who was a big reason why Darnold ended up with the Seattle Seahawks in the first place.
Darnold hit free agency in 2025, and many believed he would end up signing with the Las Vegas Raiders. Instead, the Raiders passed on him and made the trade that allowed Darnold to sign with the Seahawks as their starting quarterback.
Here's a breakdown of how Brady's decisions led to Darnold's success on Sunday.
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Sam Darnold stats vs. Rams
- Completions/Attempts: 25/36
- Passing yards: 346
- Yards per attempt: 9.6
- Touchdowns: 3
- Interceptions: 0
- Sacks: 3
- Passer rating: 131.0
- Rushing yards: 9
Darnold's performance in the NFC championship game was perhaps his best of the 2025 season, totaling 346 passing yards and three touchdowns while not turning the ball over.
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Why didn't Raiders sign Sam Darnold?
The 2025 offseason was Tom Brady's first as minority owner of the Raiders, and the team needed both a new head coach and new quarterback. After the Raiders hired Pete Carroll at head coach, Brady turned his attention to the quarterback position.
Brady initially wanted to acquire Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, according to The Athletic, but Stafford returned to Los Angeles. Therefore, as Darnold was the best free agent quarterback available, he was a logical choice.
Instead, though, Brady didn't want to sign Darnold off his breakout season with the Minnesota Vikings.
"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," Mike Silver wrote for The Athletic.
The Raiders chose to trade for the Seahawks' old quarterback, Geno Smith, and reunite him with Carroll. That paved the way for Seattle to sign Darnold to a three-year contract, which was the beginning of a new era.
Of course, Smith had a difficult season in Las Vegas, as the Raiders finished 3-14 and tied for the worst record in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Seahawks soared with Darnold all the way back to the Super Bowl.
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Does Tom Brady own the Raiders?
Tom Brady became a minority owner of the Raiders in October of 2024, and now holds a 5 percent stake in the team.
However, Brady is more than just a minority owner, as he has a lot of power over the team's football decisions since he joined the ownership group.