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Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a singular objective: becoming the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He accomplished that dream. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into numerous pursuits. He works as a commentator for Fox. He's engaged in construction projects in Birmingham. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's expanding American football to Saudi Arabia. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He replicated his dog. Brady's retirement activities appear either eclectic or unfocused, depending on your perspective.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But managing a NFL team is hardly a casual commitment. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady also serves as the de facto football leader for the Las Vegas franchise, currently the most hapless team in the league.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on this past weekend after suffering a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a quarterback making his professional debut. The Raiders' offense averaged less than three yards per play before garbage-time action in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was tackled 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a season record for any franchise this season. On defense, Las Vegas allowed big plays to a Cleveland offense that has been dysfunctional for most of the season. However you analyze it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. At least Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this current situation was sitting in Dallas on the network coverage for another game.

A Series of Dubious Decisions

To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's football decisions, after becoming a minority owner of the organization in 2024. But he was responsible for every major decision last summer, and each one has backfired. Those moves have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless franchise in the NFL.

This wasn't expected to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't hire 74-year-old Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a championship and a NCAA title, to oversee a protracted process back up the standings. He was supposed to restore the team to relevance and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Instead, Carroll is staring at the possibility of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Franchise Dysfunction

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, of course. The majority owner is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has churned through head 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 general manager in 15 years, a instability that has erased any clear strategic direction. Still, it's Brady's fingerprints that are all over this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," NFL Insider a prominent journalist said last summer. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll stated of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his opportunity to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and placed the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed John Spytek, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to act as GM. He greenlit a roster plan to Carroll's preference, including trading a third-round pick for Smith and drafting a running back with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier offensive 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 unreliable offensive line – the foundation for that coordinator and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It's been a complete failure. The previous year's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were scrappy and competitive. This year's Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has implemented an old-fashioned defensive philosophy, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' offensive line has submarined any aspirations for their rookie and the run game. If nothing else, Carroll was expected to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the end of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was pronounced. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Their star defender, now just five sacks away from the NFL all-time mark, leads a formidable defense. And there is optimism around the impressive rookie class that includes two potential stars – Quinshon Judkins at RB and Carson Schwesinger at LB. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be The Answer at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was against the Raiders' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not overwhelming for him. With a complete preparation period to prepare, he was solid, accepting what the opposition gave him and showing flashes of improvisation. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his first start since 1995.

Lack of Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' rookie class represent future potential. That's a mirror the Raiders don't want to look into. Successful franchises understand their situation in the ecosystem: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or rebuilding. Vegas entered 2025 believing they were a couple of moves away from respectability. In spite of the overwhelming evidence otherwise, they failed to adjust midstream. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing rookies to discover what they have for the future. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has apparently already been tension between the coaching staff and the front office regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a sieve. First-year pass catchers two young talents have combined for nine receptions in eleven contests, despite the lack of spark in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on defense over young players in need of experience.

Uncertain Future

Where is the path forward? Will the coach return or the GM or the quarterback? And who actually makes those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its primary influencer participates sporadically, signs off franchise-altering moves, and then vanishes on other projects?

It's going to be a challenge for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a division stacked with consistently successful teams. Meanwhile, other reconstructing teams have paths. The Jets are loaded with future draft picks. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No quarterback. No distinctive style. No strategic vision.

The single factor more problematic than being ineffective in the NFL is not knowing you're underperforming. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are developing, or who will make decisions in the offseason.

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