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Tom Brady committed over two decades to a singular objective: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in league history. He achieved that goal. Today, in retirement, Brady has explored various endeavors. He works as a broadcaster for a major network. He's engaged in development ventures in Birmingham. He has endorsed cryptocurrency. He's expanding American football to Saudi Arabia. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his dog. Brady's retirement activities appear either diverse or unfocused, depending on your perspective.

Side projects are understandable. But managing a professional franchise is hardly a casual commitment. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady also serves as the unofficial decision-maker for the Las Vegas franchise, presently the most hapless team in the NFL.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on this past weekend after suffering a decisive loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were embarrassed 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 final period. Geno Smith 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 offensive unit that has been ineffective for most of the season. However you analyze 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 network coverage for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Series of Questionable Choices

To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season guiding the team's personnel choices, becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise in 2024. But he was responsible for every significant move last summer, and each one has backfired. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless team in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't hire veteran coach Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a Super Bowl and a college national championship, to manage a protracted process back up the standings. He was expected to restore the team to relevance and then transition them with a solid foundation in place. Conversely, 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 majority owner. Davis has churned through coaches and executives 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 influence that are all over this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter Tom Pelissero said last summer. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll stated of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his chance to leave his mark on a team."

Brady made the key hires and placed the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed a close associate, his college buddy and co-worker in Tampa, to serve as GM. He approved a team strategy to Carroll's preference, including dealing a third-round pick for Smith and selecting a RB No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He lured an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he signed off on entrusting a flaky offensive line – the bedrock for that coordinator and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.

Disastrous Outcomes

It's been a complete failure. The previous year's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and competitive. The current Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive scheme, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' blocking unit has undermined any aspirations for their rookie and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, counting down the snaps to the end of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was pronounced. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. Their star defender, now just five sacks away from the NFL all-time mark, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is optimism around the impressive rookie class that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at running back and Carson Schwesinger at LB. 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 against the Raiders' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the stage was not too big for him. With a full week to get ready, he was solid, 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 Vision

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' first-year players symbolize future potential. That's a mirror the Raiders don't want to look into. Successful franchises understand their situation in the league hierarchy: you're either a championship candidate, a frisky playoff team, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 believing they were a couple of moves away from respectability. In spite of the clear indications otherwise, they haven't pivoted during the season. Like Cleveland, 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 tension between the coaches and the front office regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a weak point. Rookie receivers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have combined for nine receptions in eleven contests, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on the defensive side over young players in need of experience.

Unclear Future

Where is the path forward? Will the coach return or Spytek or the quarterback? And who truly decides those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise operate when its most powerful decision-maker logs in occasionally, signs off franchise-altering moves, and then disappears 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. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have paths. The Jets are loaded 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 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 summer.

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