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Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a singular mission: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in league history. He accomplished that goal. Now, in his post-playing career, Brady has explored numerous endeavors. He works as a commentator for a major network. He's involved in development ventures in Birmingham. He has endorsed cryptocurrency. He's expanding American football to the Middle East. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's retirement ventures appear either eclectic or aimless, based on your perspective.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But managing a professional franchise is hardly a casual commitment. Alongside his other roles, Brady also serves as the unofficial football leader for the Las Vegas franchise, presently the most hapless team in the NFL.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on this past weekend after enduring a decisive loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were embarrassed by a struggling team with a quarterback making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offense averaged less than three yards per play before meaningless plays in the final period. Geno Smith was tackled 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a season record for any team this season. On defense, Las Vegas surrendered big plays to a Cleveland offense that has been ineffective 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 latest Vegas mess was working in Dallas on the network coverage for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Collection of Dubious Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only been involved for a year guiding the team's football decisions, after becoming a minority owner of the franchise in 2024. But he was responsible for every major decision last offseason, and all of them has proven unsuccessful. Those decisions have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless franchise in the NFL.

This wasn't supposed to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't hire 74-year-old Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a Super Bowl and a NCAA title, to oversee a protracted process back up the league table. 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 restart.

Organizational Turmoil

This is not all Brady's fault, naturally. Mark Davis is still the majority owner. Davis has cycled through head coaches and executives at a rate that would make even the Jets feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a instability 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 Tom Brady show," NFL Insider a prominent journalist commented last summer. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll said of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his chance to put his stamp on a team."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and placed the Raiders on this rudderless course. He appointed a close associate, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to serve as GM. He greenlit a team strategy to Carroll's preference, including trading a third-round pick for Geno Smith and selecting a RB No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier O-line. He lured Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he approved entrusting a flaky blocking unit – the bedrock for that coach and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It has become a complete failure. 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 scheme, the quarterback looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty and the ground attack. If nothing else, Carroll was expected to bring energy. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the conclusion of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was pronounced. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. Their star defender, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the league single-season record, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking rookie class that includes multiple promising talents – a dynamic runner at RB and a skilled defender at LB. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be the permanent solution at QB, but who is An Answer in the immediate future.

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

Lack of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' first-year players symbolize promise. That's a reflection the Raiders don't want to look into. Successful franchises understand their position in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or rebuilding. Vegas began the season believing they were a few adjustments away from respectability. In spite of the clear indications otherwise, they failed to adjust midstream. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be throwing out 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 coaches and the management regarding the lack of action for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a weak point. First-year pass catchers two young talents have totaled nine catches in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on defense over young players in need of reps.

Uncertain Future

Where is the path forward? Will the coach return or Spytek or the quarterback? And who actually makes those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise operate when its most powerful decision-maker participates sporadically, approves franchise-altering moves, and then vanishes on other projects?

It's going to be a struggle for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a conference stacked with consistently successful teams. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have paths. The New York Jets are loaded with future draft picks. The Titans and Giants have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No franchise QB. No identity. No plan.

The single factor more dangerous than being ineffective 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 excelled at football through intense dedication. The Raiders could benefit from more than an hour of it.