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Tom Brady committed over two decades to a unwavering objective: becoming the greatest quarterback in league history. He accomplished that dream. Now, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into numerous pursuits. He serves as a broadcaster for a major network. He's involved in development ventures in Birmingham. He has promoted digital assets. He's spreading American football to Saudi Arabia. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's retirement activities appear either diverse or unfocused, based on your perspective.

Side projects are one thing. But managing a NFL team is not a part-time job. Alongside his other roles, Brady also serves as the de facto decision-maker for the Raiders, presently the least successful team in the league.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on this past weekend after suffering a decisive loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a QB making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged 2.9 yards per play before meaningless action in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a season record for any team this season. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered significant gains to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional for the majority of the season. 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 another game.

A Series of Questionable Decisions

To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's personnel choices, after becoming a partial stakeholder of the organization in 2024. But he was responsible for every significant move last offseason, and all of them has backfired. Those decisions have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless team in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't appoint veteran coach Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a Super Bowl and a NCAA title, to oversee a long slog back up the league table. He was supposed to return the team to competitiveness and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Instead, Carroll is staring at the prospect of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Franchise Turmoil

This is not 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 Jets feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a turnover rate that has erased any coherent long-term vision. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this version of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," league reporter Tom Pelissero commented last offseason. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll stated of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his opportunity to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady was responsible for the crucial appointments and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired a close associate, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to act as general manager. He greenlit a roster plan to Carroll's preference, including dealing a third-round pick for Geno Smith and selecting a running back No 6 overall despite having a poor-performing O-line. He lured an offensive innovator away from the NCAA, making him the top-earning OC in the league. And he approved handing a unreliable blocking unit – the foundation for that coach and running back – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It has become a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and resilient. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive philosophy, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' blocking unit has undermined any hopes for their rookie and the ground attack. At the very least, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the conclusion of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was stark. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. Myles Garrett, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the league all-time mark, leads a formidable defense. And there is optimism around the impressive rookie class that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at RB and a skilled defender at LB. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be The Answer at QB, but who is a viable option in the immediate future.

Granted, it was against the Raiders' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not overwhelming for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was effective, accepting what the defense gave him and displaying glimpses of creativity. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' first-year players represent future potential. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Good organizations recognize their position in the league hierarchy: you're either a contender, a competitive squad, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a couple of moves away from competitiveness. In spite of the overwhelming evidence otherwise, they haven't pivoted midstream. 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 management regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a sieve. Rookie receivers two young talents have combined for nine receptions in 11 games, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out grizzled vets on defense over rookies in need of experience.

Unclear Direction

What is the future direction? Will the coach return or the GM or the quarterback? And who actually makes those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise function when its primary influencer participates sporadically, approves major organizational decisions, and then disappears on side quests?

It will prove a challenge for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a division filled with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have paths. The New York Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No franchise QB. No identity. No strategic vision.

The only thing more problematic than being bad 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 offseason.

Tom Brady once mastered football through ruthless focus. The Raiders could benefit from more than an hour of it.