Tom Brady faced criticism from NFL fans after accusing Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold of “acting” following a late hit during Sunday’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers. (Image via Getty)
The comment came during Fox’s broadcast of the San Francisco 49ers’ 32-29 win over Seattle on Oct. 11.
On Sunday, that history came roaring back after he accused Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold of “acting” following a late hit. Tom Brady spent more than two decades playing the NFL’s most protected position. Fans quickly accused Brady of hypocrisy, while his unusually sharp criticism of Darnold also revived questions about how the seven-time Super Bowl champion views the Seahawks quarterback.
The controversy started in the second quarter with San Francisco leading 14-10. Darnold scrambled five yards toward the Seattle sideline and stepped out of bounds near the 49ers’ 47-yard line. Darnold finished the game 18 of 29 for 195 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He also took five sacks as San Francisco erased Seattle’s lead and handed the defending Super Bowl champions a 32-29 loss. Awful Announcing pointed back to reporting from The Athletic’s Michael Silver in June 2025 that Brady, a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, was against the franchise pursuing Darnold in free agency. Seattle then signed Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract. During an October 2019 game against the New England Patriots, Darnold threw four interceptions and was caught on an ESPN microphone saying he was “seeing ghosts. Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news , check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule .
Because darnold had been hit after stepping out of bounds, and officials penalized Greenlaw for it, that distinction mattered. The Daily Mail’s Jake Fenner reported that fans focused on one obvious piece of history: Brady himself frequently sought roughing-the-passer calls during his career.
“I don’t think that’s an illegal hit at all,” Brady said on the Fox broadcast. Brady’s reaction changed once he saw Greenlaw’s head-butt, according to Awful Announcing’s Sam Neumann. Others were even more direct, calling Brady’s criticism “Pot calling the kettle black” and questioning whether he had ever exaggerated contact himself.
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw arrived moments later and drove Darnold toward the Seahawks bench. Officials flagged Greenlaw for the late hit. The situation then escalated when Greenlaw head-butted a helmetless Ernest Jones IV during the ensuing confrontation. The league office ultimately ejected Greenlaw. Brady disagreed with the initial penalty. “I know they might call a penalty, but Dre Greenlaw’s on a full sprint to make sure Darnold’s not gaining anywhere close to the first down mark, which is exactly what Darnold’s doing. And then it’s a little nudge out of bounds and Darnold with the acting. He continued: “Football has changed so much. I know it’s a little late as that foot comes down, but I like that Niners are trying- ooh my goodness, I didn’t see that. He criticized that action but did not retract his comment about Darnold. Brady’s wording drew almost immediate criticism online. One fan wrote, “Tom would’ve complained so much if he took this hit. Another posted, “Truly insane hearing Brady say it’s a different game now. The NFL so clearly protected Brady just like they do Mahomes now. There is another layer to the exchange. Join conversation Share your thoughts in the comments Be respectful · TOI community guidelines Las Vegas instead traded for Geno Smith. That history does not prove Brady has a personal issue with Darnold. It does, however, make his criticism more interesting than an ordinary disagreement over a penalty. Darnold also has history against Brady on the field. Seven years later, Darnold is a Super Bowl-winning quarterback. Brady is now evaluating him from the broadcast booth. NFL fans did not hide theirs, either. Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.
On Sunday, Brady did not hide his opinion.