Sam Darnold was shortlisted by the Las Vegas Raiders until Tom Brady blocked any approach for the quarterback, as the minority shareholder preferred veteran Geno Smith
Tom Brady did not want the Las Vegas Raiders to approach Sam Darnold(Image: Kara Durrette/Getty Images)
The Las Vegas Raiders leaned on minority owner Tom Brady this offseason when searching for a new franchise quarterback, but the NFL legend was not keen on signing Sam Darnold.
After waiving Gardner Minshew, the Raiders were linked with several quarterbacks, with Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, and Darnold named on their shortlist. However, Las Vegas ended up trading for Seattle Seahawks veteran Geno Smith and handed him a two-year, $75 million extension.
Raiders head coach Pete Carroll clarified that Brady would be involved in negotiations, with new general manager John Spytek also confirming the agreement. Brady respected Smith’s abilities, gave his blessing ahead of the move, and discouraged the pursuit of Darnold.
READ MORE: Charlie Woods wins huge qualifier after gesture as Tiger sees clutch momentREAD MORE: Rays pitcher hit in face by 105mph foul ball in dugout as players left distressed
That’s according to The Athletic, which confirmed the decision via a source familiar with the Raiders’ internal discussions. Brady did not approve of an approach for Darnold but was convinced that Smith would be a great fit for the franchise moving forward.
“When we are looking at quarterbacks, we’d have to be fools not to involve him,” Spytek told The Athletic. “Tom is the foremost expert on quarterback play I’ve ever been around.
“He really respected Geno — the way he can process and throw the football.” Darnold was the third-overall pick in 2018 when he was selected by the New York Jets, and he enjoyed a breakthrough season with the Minnesota Vikings last season after rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy missed the year through injury.
Darnold had a breakthrough year with the Minnesota Vikings(Image: Brace Hemmelgarn/Getty Images)
Darnold threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns, leading the Vikings to a 14-3 record. Minnesota was shut down in the first round of the playoffs, but Darnold’s stock was at an all-time high heading into free agency, as the Vikings were still keen on utilizing McCarthy long-term.
The Raiders’ pursuit of Smith ultimately led to Seattle pivoting to Darnold, who agreed to a three-year, $100.5 million contract with $55 million guaranteed. “I was looking at my free agent options and talking with my agent about it, and then all of a sudden, we hear the news that Geno [Smith] was getting traded,” Darnold told Fox News Digital.
“And that was kind of like, ‘OK, Seattle could be a potential spot. When I just found out about the mutual interest that both sides had in getting a deal done, that was something that was really important for me.
Geno Smith’s departure opened the door for Darnold(Image: Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
“Having somebody that also wanted me there, and to be able to have an impact as best I can.” Darnold and the Vikings beat the Seahawks 27-24 last season, but the quarterback admitted that he was impressed with what he saw from Seattle.
“There’s great players on defense, great players on offense,” Darnold added. “I feel like Coach Macdonald’s scheme on defense was really hard to go against last year, and I know coach Klint Kubiak.
“I know him from 2023 in San Francisco, when we made that run there, so I’m pretty familiar with the system. I think all those factors combined was really the reason I fell in love with the decision to come to Seattle, and, man, I couldn’t be more excited about it.”
The Raiders and Seahawks won’t meet during the 2025 regular season, but they will face off on August 7. Seattle will host the preseason game at Lumen Field, though it’s unclear whether Darnold or Smith will feature.