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Tom Brady dedicated over two decades to a singular mission: becoming the most accomplished QB in league history. He achieved that dream. Now, in his post-playing career, Brady has explored various endeavors. He serves as a commentator for Fox. He's engaged in development ventures in the UK. He has endorsed cryptocurrency. He's expanding American football to Saudi Arabia. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He replicated his dog. Brady's retirement ventures appear either eclectic or aimless, based on your perspective.

Side projects are one thing. But managing a NFL team is not a casual commitment. Alongside his other roles, Brady also serves as the de facto decision-maker for the Raiders, currently the most hapless team in the NFL.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a decisive loss to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were embarrassed by a struggling team with a QB making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged 2.9 yards per play before meaningless plays in the final period. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a single-game high for any team this year. On defense, Las Vegas surrendered big plays to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been ineffective for the majority 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 Questionable Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's personnel choices, becoming a minority owner of the franchise in 2024. But he was accountable for every major decision last offseason, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the least entertaining and directionless franchise in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't appoint 74-year-old Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a championship and a NCAA title, to oversee a protracted process back up the league table. He was supposed to restore the team to competitiveness and then transition them with a solid foundation in place. Conversely, Carroll is facing the possibility of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Organizational Dysfunction

This is not all Brady's fault, naturally. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through coaches and executives at a rate that would make even the Jets feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a turnover rate that has erased any clear strategic direction. Nevertheless, it's Brady's fingerprints that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," league reporter Tom Pelissero said last summer. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll stated of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his chance to put his stamp on a franchise."

Brady made the key hires and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired John Spytek, his former teammate and colleague in Tampa, to serve as GM. He greenlit a team strategy to the coach's specifications, including dealing a draft selection for Geno Smith and drafting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He lured an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the top-earning OC in the league. And he approved entrusting a flaky offensive line – the foundation for that coordinator and running back – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It's been a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were scrappy and competitive. This year's Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has installed an outdated defensive philosophy, the quarterback looks past his prime and the Raiders' offensive line has submarined any hopes for their rookie and the run game. If nothing else, Carroll was expected to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, waiting for the plays to the end of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was stark. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Myles Garrett, now just five sacks away from the NFL single-season record, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – a dynamic runner at RB and Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be the permanent solution at quarterback, but who is An Answer 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 get ready, he was effective, taking what the defense gave him and displaying glimpses of creativity. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his debut game since 1995.

Absence of Vision

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' rookie class symbolize promise. That's a reflection the Raiders should avoid. Good organizations recognize their position in the league hierarchy: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 believing they were a couple of moves away from respectability. Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, they failed to adjust midstream. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing young players to find out what they have for the future. But only two first-year players have seen significant action. There has apparently already been tension between the coaching staff and the front office regarding the lack of action for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the offensive 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 experienced veterans on defense over young players in need of experience.

Unclear Future

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

It will prove a struggle for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a conference filled with consistently successful teams. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have clear trajectories. The New York Jets are stocked with future draft picks. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No franchise QB. No identity. No strategic vision.

The single factor more dangerous than being bad in the NFL is not knowing you're bad. 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 ruthless focus. The Raiders could benefit from more than limited attention of it.