How Raiders minority owner Tom Brady helped Seahawks sign Sam Darnold

Matt Sullivan

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How Raiders minority owner Tom Brady helped Seahawks sign Sam Darnold image

The Seattle Seahawks have found a potential franchise quarterback in Sam Darnold. While Darnold was successful with the Minnesota Vikings, they pivoted to J.J. McCarthy as a younger, cheaper option in 2025.

But the Vikings weren't the only ones who helped Seattle land their new quarterback. As Dianna Russini of The Athletic referenced, Las Vegas Raiders minority owner and NFL legend Tom Brady was also a big factor in Darnold signing with Seattle.

How Brady helped Darnold sign with the Seahawks is a fascinating story, as Brady's influence on the Raiders might've forced the Seahawks-laden team to enter a reset a year after their 2025 reset.

How Tom Brady helped the Seahawks sign Sam Darnold

"Players thought Brady would deliver Matthew Stafford after a long ski-slope conversation last offseason. He missed." Russini writes. "Then Brady shot down Sam Darnold as an option. Another miss."

The Raiders were one of the teams involved in the Darnold free agent market, and while they might've been interested, Brady's influence took them out of the market.

With Darnold no longer an option, and with Pete Carroll in Las Vegas, Geno Smith emerged as a top choice for the Raiders and Brady.

A Seahawks-laden roster, with Carroll as the head coach, Smith as the quarterback, and now even Tyler Lockett in the wide receiver room, there was a clear connection between the two teams.

More: Kevin O'Connell sent strong message on Sam Darnold after Seahawks free agent signing

And with the report that Brady passed on Darnold, letting him go to Seattle, the link between these two teams is even stronger. Except, they couldn't be going in further opposite directions.

The Seahawks are one of the NFL's best teams, and Darnold has fed Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a potential NFL record-breaking pace. He has 2,913 passing yards and 19 touchdowns through 12 weeks, and with the Seahawks at 9-3, with a chance to win the NFC West.

The Raiders, with Geno Smith and a few other Seahawks on the team, are 2-10 and contending for the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Making the change from Smith to Darnold has been massive for the Seahawks, and it might have happened if it weren't for Brady's influence on the Raiders' roster building.

Sam Darnold is playing at a Pro Bowl level for the Seahawks, who are Super Bowl contenders, and it's thanks in part to future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady.

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Senior Editor