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Tom Brady dedicated over two decades to a unwavering objective: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in league history. He accomplished that dream. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has explored various endeavors. He works as a broadcaster for Fox. He's involved in construction projects in Birmingham. He has endorsed cryptocurrency. He's expanding the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his family pet. Brady's retirement activities appear either eclectic or aimless, based on your viewpoint.

Secondary ventures are one thing. But managing a professional franchise is not a casual commitment. In addition to his other roles, Brady functions as the de facto football leader for the Raiders, presently the least successful team in the NFL.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on this past weekend after suffering a decisive loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were embarrassed by a underperforming team with a QB making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offense averaged less than three yards per play before garbage-time action in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a season record for any team this year. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered significant gains to a Cleveland offense that has been ineffective for most of the campaign. However you analyze it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to watch. The primary decision-maker of this current situation was working in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for another game.

A Collection of Questionable Choices

In fairness to Brady, he has only spent one season guiding the team's football decisions, after becoming a partial stakeholder of the organization in 2024. But he was responsible for every significant move last summer, and each one has backfired. Those decisions have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless team in the league.

This wasn't expected to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't hire veteran coach Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a championship and a NCAA title, to oversee a protracted process back up the standings. He was expected to restore the team to relevance and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Instead, Carroll is facing the prospect of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Organizational Dysfunction

This is not entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. Mark Davis is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through coaches and front-office heads at a speed that would make even the New York Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a turnover rate that has eliminated any clear strategic direction. Nevertheless, it's Brady's fingerprints that are all over this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," league reporter a prominent journalist said last offseason. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll stated of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his chance to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady was responsible for the crucial appointments and set the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed John Spytek, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to serve as general manager. He approved a team strategy to the coach's specifications, including dealing a draft selection for Smith and drafting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a poor-performing offensive line. He recruited Chip Kelly away from the college ranks, making him the top-earning OC in the league. And he signed off on handing a unreliable offensive line – the bedrock for that coach and running back – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It has become a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were scrappy and competitive. This year's Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive scheme, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' offensive line has submarined any hopes for their rookie and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, counting down the plays to the end of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was stark. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Myles Garrett, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the league all-time mark, leads a formidable defense. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at running back and Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be The Answer at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was facing the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders showed that the stage was not too big for him. With a full week to prepare, he was effective, accepting what the opposition gave him and displaying glimpses of improvisation. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class symbolize promise. That's a mirror the Raiders don't want to look into. Successful franchises recognize their situation in the ecosystem: you're either a contender, a competitive squad, or rebuilding. Vegas entered 2025 believing they were a couple of moves away from respectability. In spite of the clear indications otherwise, they haven't pivoted during the season. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing young players to find out what they have for the future. But only two first-year players have seen significant action. There has reportedly already been disagreement between the coaches and the front office regarding the lack of action for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the o-line being a weak point. First-year pass catchers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have combined for nine receptions in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on the defensive side over young players in need of experience.

Unclear Future

What is the future direction? Will Carroll be back or the GM or the quarterback? And who actually makes those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise operate when its most powerful decision-maker logs in occasionally, signs off major organizational decisions, and then vanishes on side quests?

It will prove a challenge for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a division filled with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other rebuilders have clear trajectories. The Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Tennessee and New York have talented young QBs. The Raiders have nothing. No foundation. No quarterback. No identity. No plan.

The only thing more dangerous than being ineffective in the NFL is not knowing you're underperforming. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are building, or who will make decisions in the offseason.

Tom Brady once excelled at football through intense dedication. The Raiders could benefit from more than an hour of it.