Tom Brady was against Raiders signing $100,500,000 star QB before trading for Geno Smith

Tom Brady is a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, but he still has a lot of say in the roster.

Brady has been vocal about the Raiders' roster decisions, and this offseason, Las Vegas traded for Geno Smith to be the team's starting quarterback. Before the Raiders made the decision to trade for Smith, Brady reportedly shot down the team pursuing Sam Darnold in free agency, according to The Athletic's Michael Silver.

"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," the article read.

Darnold ended up signing a three-year, $105.5 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks in the offseason. The Raiders opted to trade for Smith and signed him to a two-year, $75 million deal to be Las Vegas' starting quarterback.

Smith went 407-for-578 for 4,320 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions last season with Seattle. Darnold, meanwhile, went 361-for-545 for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions with the Vikings.

Tom Brady is eager for Geno Smith to be the Raiders' QB

Tom Brady and the Raiders went out and traded for Smith to be the team's starting quarterback in 2025.

Las Vegas has struggled to have a true starting quarterback for years, and Brady believes Smith will have a lot of success in the Raiders' system.

“He’s a great leader for the organization. Everyone’s excited to have him, and Geno’s done a great job since he was acquired, coming in and working his tail off. Everyone’s excited about the direction we’re heading,” Brady said, via Pro Football Network.

Smith, meanwhile, says he spoke to Brady after the deal was done and is excited to work under him and learn from him.

"What I was talking to Tom about," Smith said, via SI. "This is something he said, and this is true: We don’t want to celebrate contracts. We want to celebrate wins. And the thing is, that just kind of set the tone for the team. This is our quarterback. This is the direction we’re headed. And there’s no gray area there. Everything’s set in stone. And when you have that, when you can set a real plan, then you can get things going."

Smith and the Raiders open their 2025 NFL season on Sept. 7 on the road against the New England Patriots.