There is an episode known that when Ieyasu gathered his vassales and consulted on his successor after the Battle of Sekigahara, Tadachika recommended Hidetada while other candidate names such as Hideyasu YUKI, Hidetada's older brother, or Tadayoshi MATSUDAIRA were mentioned ("Taitokuin-dono Gojikki").
関ヶ原の戦いの後に、家康が重臣を集めて後継者に関する相談をしたときに、秀忠の兄の結城秀康や松平忠吉の名前が挙がるなか、忠隣が秀忠を推薦したエピソードも知られる（『台徳院殿御実記』）。