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Tom Brady committed over two decades to a unwavering mission: becoming the most accomplished QB in league history. He achieved that goal. Now, in retirement, Brady has ventured into various endeavors. He works as a broadcaster for Fox. He's engaged in development ventures in the UK. He has endorsed cryptocurrency. He's expanding the NFL to the Middle East. He maintains a popular YouTube channel. He replicated his dog. Brady's retirement ventures appear either eclectic or unfocused, depending on your perspective.

Side projects are understandable. But managing a professional franchise is hardly a part-time job. Alongside his various responsibilities, Brady functions as the de facto decision-maker for the Las Vegas franchise, currently the most hapless team in the league.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on this past weekend after enduring a decisive loss to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a quarterback making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offense averaged less than three yards per play before meaningless action in the fourth quarter. Geno Smith was tackled 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a season record for any franchise this year. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered big plays to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional for the majority of the campaign. However you analyze it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. At least Brady didn't have to witness it. The primary decision-maker of this current situation was working in Dallas on the network coverage for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Collection of Dubious Choices

In fairness to Brady, he has only been involved for a year guiding the team's football decisions, becoming a partial stakeholder of the organization in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last summer, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those decisions have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless franchise in the NFL.

This wasn't expected to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't appoint 74-year-old Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a Super Bowl and a college national championship, to oversee a protracted process back up the standings. He was expected to return the team to relevance and then transition them with a stable base in place. Instead, Carroll is staring at the possibility of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Organizational Dysfunction

This isn't all Brady's fault, naturally. Mark Davis is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has cycled through coaches and front-office heads at a speed that would make even the Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a instability that has eliminated any coherent long-term vision. Nevertheless, it's Brady's fingerprints that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter Tom Pelissero commented last summer. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll stated of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his opportunity to put his stamp on a team."

Brady made the crucial appointments and placed the Raiders on this rudderless course. He appointed John Spytek, his college buddy and co-worker in Tampa, to serve as general manager. He greenlit a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including trading a third-round pick for Geno Smith and selecting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a poor-performing O-line. He lured an offensive innovator away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the league. And he signed off on handing a flaky blocking unit – the foundation for that coordinator and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.

Disastrous Outcomes

It's been a disaster. The previous year's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were scrappy and competitive. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive philosophy, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has submarined any aspirations for their rookie and the ground attack. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, waiting for the plays to the end of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was pronounced. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. Myles Garrett, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the league single-season record, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is positive outlook around the stellar-looking first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at RB and Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be the permanent solution at QB, but who is An Answer in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was facing the Raiders' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the stage was not too big for him. With a complete preparation period to prepare, he was effective, taking what the defense gave him and showing flashes of creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut game since 1995.

Absence of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class represent promise. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises understand their situation in the league hierarchy: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a few adjustments away from competitiveness. Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, they failed to adjust midstream. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be throwing out young players to find out what they have for the coming years. But only two rookies have seen significant action. There has apparently already been disagreement between the coaching staff and the front office regarding the limited playing time for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the o-line being a sieve. Rookie receivers two young talents have totaled nine catches in eleven contests, despite the ineffectiveness in the passing game. Carroll continues to roll out grizzled vets on defense over young players in need of experience.

Uncertain Direction

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

It's going to be a struggle for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a division stacked with perennial playoff contenders. Meanwhile, other rebuilders have clear trajectories. The Jets are stocked with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. No core. No quarterback. No distinctive style. No strategic vision.

The only thing more problematic than being bad in the NFL is not knowing you're underperforming. The Raiders lack clarity on where they are, what they are building, or who will make decisions in the offseason.

Tom Brady once mastered football through intense dedication. The Raiders could use more than an hour of it.