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Tom Brady dedicated over two decades to a unwavering mission: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He accomplished that dream. Now, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into numerous pursuits. He works as a commentator for Fox. He's engaged in development ventures in Birmingham. He has endorsed digital assets. He's expanding American football to Saudi Arabia. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's retirement activities appear either diverse or aimless, depending on your viewpoint.

Secondary ventures are one thing. But managing a NFL team is hardly a casual commitment. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady functions as the unofficial football leader for the Las Vegas franchise, presently the least successful team in the NFL.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on this past weekend after suffering a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a quarterback making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged less than three yards per play before garbage-time plays in the final period. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a season record for any franchise this season. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered big plays 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 witness it. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was sitting in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Series of Questionable Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only spent one season guiding the team's personnel choices, becoming a minority owner of the franchise in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last summer, and all of them has proven unsuccessful. Those decisions have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless franchise in the NFL.

This wasn't supposed to be a multi-year rebuild. 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 oversee a protracted process back up the standings. He was expected to restore the team to competitiveness and then hand them off with a solid foundation in place. Instead, Carroll is facing the prospect of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Franchise Dysfunction

This is not all Brady's fault, naturally. Mark Davis 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 fingerprints 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 integrally involved," Carroll said of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his opportunity to put his stamp on a franchise."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired John Spytek, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to serve as general manager. He greenlit a roster plan to Carroll's preference, including trading a draft selection for Smith and drafting a RB No 6 overall 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 NFL. And he signed off on handing a flaky offensive line – the foundation for that coach and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.

Disastrous Outcomes

It has become a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were scrappy and resilient. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive scheme, the quarterback looks past his prime and the Raiders' blocking unit has undermined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, counting down the plays to the conclusion 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 single-season record, leads a formidable defense. And there is positive outlook around the stellar-looking first-year players that includes two potential stars – a dynamic runner at RB and Carson Schwesinger at LB. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be the permanent solution at quarterback, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was facing the Raiders' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the stage was not overwhelming for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was effective, accepting what the defense gave him and showing flashes of creativity. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start since 1995.

Absence of Vision

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class symbolize promise. That's a reflection the Raiders should avoid. Good organizations recognize their position in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a frisky playoff team, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 believing they were a few adjustments away from competitiveness. In spite of the clear indications otherwise, they failed to adjust 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 reportedly already been tension between the coaches and the front office regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the offensive line being a sieve. Rookie receivers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine catches in eleven contests, despite the ineffectiveness in the passing game. Carroll continues to roll out experienced veterans on the defensive side over rookies in need of experience.

Uncertain Future

What is the future direction? Will Carroll be back or Spytek or the quarterback? And who actually makes those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its most powerful decision-maker participates sporadically, signs off franchise-altering moves, and then vanishes on side quests?

It will prove a struggle for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a division stacked with perennial playoff contenders. Meanwhile, other reconstructing teams have paths. The New York Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Tennessee and New York have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have nothing. No core. No quarterback. No identity. No strategic vision.

The only thing more dangerous than being bad in the NFL is not knowing you're bad. The Raiders lack clarity on where they are, what they are developing, or who will call the shots in the summer.

Tom Brady once excelled at football through ruthless focus. The Raiders could use more than an hour of it.