Tom Brady's Key Offseason Decision Might've Cost Raiders
Tom Brady is a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, but he reportedly has an incredible amount of sway. The NFL franchise made several decisions, according to a new report, based on what he thought or felt. Majority owners can sometimes drive decisions, but not often do minority owners.
Brady knows football, and he's one of the most successful and celebrated athletes in general. Making decisions on how to run a team is a different beast, though. Brady had his say, but in one key instance, it really cost the Raiders.
Tom Brady didn't want Sam Darnold
The Raiders always wanted Tom Brady to be heavily involved. Owner Al Davis said via ESPN, "I want Tom to have a huge voice -- no question about it. It's part of building the infrastructure of the organization ... a football person on that side of it that's not a coach or a general manager. He's somebody who can oversee the whole picture. I believe Tom, come time, will be the person who can do that."
A report from The Athletic detailed that the legendary quarterback did not want the Raiders to go after Sam Darnold. In his defense, Darnold had been bad for six years before breaking out with Minnesota. And it was fair to wonder if he'd replicate that without Kevin O'Connell, or if the final two games of Vikings Darnold were here to stay.
Now, we know that idea aged poorly. Darnold may have struggled with turnovers, but the Seahawks had a great offense, and he had over 4,000 yards with 25 touchdowns. His passer rating was 99.1. He was exceptional.
So because of that, the Raiders ended up trading for Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith, whom Darnold ironically replaced. Smith was seen at the time as a better quarterback, and while the coaching certainly didn't help him, he was a disaster in Las Vegas. His QBR was 34.2, and he had 19 touchdowns to 17 interceptions.
It remains to be seen what the Raiders would've been like with Darnold under center. The Seahawks had a better infrastructure, better coaching, and better talent around the quarterback. Still, the fact of the matter is that the Raiders now have the number one pick, and the Seahawks are the number one seed.
How influential the former QB really is
"Tom definitely influences everything that goes on there," an agent of a Raiders player said. "The coaching hire, the Geno Smith trade, Matthew Stafford recruitment, he was involved with all that."
Brady's involvement isn't always seen as a positive, though. He's the best quarterback in NFL history and beloved, but that doesn't make him an elite decision-maker at the NFL level, although it's worth noting he does not actually work in the front office. He's not a GM or executive.
"Why couldn't they get the coach and the QB that they wanted?" one personnel executive wondered. "Because people view that place as a place of constant dysfunction. And now Tom is involved and what did this year look like? More dysfunction. Why would people that have options and choices be interested?"
On the flip side, Brady was able to pull some strings. Ben Johnson was seen as the best head coaching candidate for years before he finally took interviews after the 2024 season. He wasn't even going to talk to the Raiders until Brady got involved.
Obviously, he took the Chicago Bears job before the Raiders offered him the position (it likely wouldn't have mattered), and the Bears are the NFC's number two seed. So while Brady's QB intel was wrong and cost the Raiders, his head coach choice might not have been.
