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Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering objective: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in league history. He achieved that goal. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into various pursuits. He works as a broadcaster for Fox. He's engaged in development ventures in Birmingham. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's expanding the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his family pet. Brady's retirement ventures appear either diverse or aimless, based on your perspective.

Side projects are understandable. But managing a professional franchise is not a casual commitment. In addition to his other roles, Brady also serves as the unofficial decision-maker for the Las Vegas franchise, currently the most hapless team in the NFL.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on Sunday after enduring a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a QB 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 sacked 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a single-game high for any team this season. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered significant gains to a Cleveland offense that has been dysfunctional for most of the campaign. Any way you slice it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. At least Brady didn't have to watch. The architect of this current situation was sitting 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, after becoming a partial stakeholder of the organization in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last offseason, and all of them has backfired. Those decisions have resulted in the Raiders as the least entertaining and directionless team in the league.

This wasn't expected to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't hire 74-year-old Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a Super Bowl and a college national championship, to manage a long slog back up the league table. He was supposed to restore the team to competitiveness and then transition them with a solid foundation in place. Instead, Carroll is facing the possibility of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Franchise Turmoil

This isn't all Brady's fault, of course. The majority owner is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has churned through coaches and front-office heads at a speed that would make even the Jets feel embarrassed. 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 influence that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," NFL Insider a prominent journalist said last summer. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll stated of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his opportunity to put his stamp on a team."

Brady made the key hires and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired John Spytek, his college buddy and co-worker in Tampa, to serve as general manager. He approved a roster plan to Carroll's preference, including dealing a draft selection for Smith and selecting a running back No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He lured Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the top-earning offensive coordinator in the league. And he approved entrusting a unreliable blocking unit – the bedrock for that coordinator and running back – to Carroll's son.

Disastrous Results

It's been a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and competitive. The current Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has implemented an outdated 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 lifeless on Sunday, counting down the plays to the conclusion 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 single-season record, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is positive outlook around the stellar-looking rookie class that includes two potential stars – a dynamic runner at running back and Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be The Answer at QB, but who is a viable option in the immediate future.

Granted, it was facing the Raiders' defense, but Sanders showed that the NFL level was not overwhelming for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was solid, taking what the opposition gave him and showing flashes of creativity. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' first-year players represent future potential. That's a reflection the Raiders don't want to look into. Good organizations understand their situation in the league hierarchy: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or rebuilding. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a couple of moves away from respectability. Despite the overwhelming evidence otherwise, they haven't pivoted during the season. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be throwing out rookies to find out what they have for the future. But only two rookies have seen significant action. There has reportedly already been tension between the coaching staff and the front office regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the offensive line being a sieve. Rookie receivers two young talents have totaled nine receptions in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize experienced veterans on the defensive side over rookies in need of experience.

Unclear Direction

What is the future direction? Will the coach return or Spytek or the quarterback? And who truly decides those decisions, 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 conference stacked with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have paths. The Jets are stocked with future draft picks. The Tennessee and New York have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. No core. No franchise QB. No distinctive style. No plan.

The single factor more dangerous than being ineffective in the NFL is not recognizing 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 mastered football through intense dedication. The Raiders could benefit from more than limited attention of it.