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Tom Brady dedicated over two decades to a singular mission: becoming the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He accomplished that dream. Now, in retirement, Brady has explored various pursuits. He serves as a broadcaster for a major network. He's involved in construction projects in the UK. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's expanding American football to Saudi Arabia. He maintains a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his family pet. Brady's post-career activities appear either diverse or aimless, depending on your viewpoint.

Side projects are understandable. But overseeing a NFL team is not a part-time job. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady functions as the unofficial football leader for the Raiders, currently the least successful team in the NFL.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on this past weekend after enduring a 24-10 defeat to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a quarterback making his professional debut. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged 2.9 yards per play before garbage-time action in the fourth quarter. Geno Smith was sacked 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a single-game high for any team this season. On defense, Las Vegas surrendered big plays to a Cleveland offense that has been ineffective for most of the campaign. Any way you slice it, it was a thorough domination. At least Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was working in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Collection of Questionable Choices

To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's football decisions, after becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise in 2024. But he was responsible for every significant move last summer, and all of them has backfired. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the least entertaining and aimless team in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't appoint 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 return the team to competitiveness and then transition them with a solid foundation in place. Instead, Carroll is staring at the prospect of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Franchise Turmoil

This is not all Brady's fault, of course. The majority owner is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has churned through head coaches and executives at a rate 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 erased any coherent long-term vision. Still, it's Brady's fingerprints that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," league reporter a prominent journalist commented last summer. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll said of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his opportunity to put his stamp on a team."

Brady made the key hires and placed the Raiders on this rudderless course. He appointed John Spytek, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to serve as GM. He greenlit a roster plan to Carroll's preference, including dealing a draft selection for Geno Smith and drafting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a poor-performing 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 entrusting a flaky offensive line – the bedrock for that coach and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It's been a disaster. The previous year's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and resilient. This year's Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive philosophy, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' offensive line has submarined any aspirations for Ashton Jeanty and the ground attack. If nothing else, Carroll was expected to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the conclusion of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was pronounced. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. Myles Garrett, now just five sacks 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 linebacker. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be the permanent solution at QB, but who is a viable option in the immediate future.

Granted, it was against 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 creativity. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start since 1995.

Lack of Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' rookie class symbolize future potential. That's a reflection the Raiders should avoid. 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 few adjustments away from competitiveness. In spite of the overwhelming evidence otherwise, they haven't pivoted during the season. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing young players to discover what they have for the coming years. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has apparently already been disagreement between the coaches and the front office regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the offensive line being a weak point. First-year pass catchers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine receptions in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to roll out 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 actually makes those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise function when its primary influencer logs in occasionally, approves franchise-altering moves, and then disappears on side quests?

It will prove a struggle for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a conference filled with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have clear trajectories. The Jets are stocked with future draft picks. The Titans and Giants have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. No core. No franchise QB. No identity. No plan.

The single factor more dangerous than being ineffective in the NFL is not recognizing you're underperforming. The Raiders lack clarity on where they are, what they are building, or who will call the shots in the offseason.

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