Tom Brady Reportedly Against Signing Ex-Jets QB

One former New York Jets quarterback has been one of the most talked about guys of the offseason.

No, that's not about Aaron Rodgers.

He obviously was a hot topic himself, but he isn't the only person. Former Jets quarterback Sam Darnold was a polarizing figure in free agency. He has bounced around the league after leaving the Jets after the 2020 season, but had the best season of his career in 2024. Darnold had the starting job for the Minnesota Vikings after JJ McCarthy went down for the season.

Darnold turned that opportunity into a Pro Bowl season. He went 14-3 as the Vikings' starter and racked up 35 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions, and 4,319 passing yards. Much was said about where he would end up. There was a lot of buzz about coming back to the Vikings, but they are rolling with McCarthy. Darnold ended up signing with the Seattle Seahawks, but before that, the Las Vegas Raiders were talked about as a potential fit.

While this is the case, The Athletic's Michael Silver reported that Raiders minority owner Tom Brady was against a move.

"The Seahawks’ pursuit of Darnold snuck up on many NFL observers and proceeded in rapid-fire fashion," Silver said. "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."

Las Vegas ended up landing Geno Smith and Darnold ended up in Seattle. Things seemingly worked out for all sides.