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Tom Brady dedicated over two decades to a singular mission: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in league history. He accomplished that goal. Now, in retirement, Brady has ventured into various pursuits. He serves as a commentator for Fox. He's involved in development ventures in Birmingham. He has promoted digital assets. He's expanding American football to Saudi Arabia. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his family pet. Brady's retirement activities appear either eclectic or unfocused, depending on your perspective.

Side projects are understandable. But overseeing a professional franchise is hardly a part-time job. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady also serves as the unofficial decision-maker for the Raiders, currently the most hapless team in the league.

The Raiders dropped 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 underperforming team with a quarterback making his professional debut. The Raiders' offense averaged 2.9 yards per play before garbage-time plays in the final period. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a season record for any franchise this season. On defense, Las Vegas allowed big plays to a Cleveland offense that has been dysfunctional for the majority of the season. Any way you slice it, it was a thorough domination. At least Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this current situation was sitting in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for another game.

A Series of Questionable Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only been involved for a year leading the team's football decisions, 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 proven unsuccessful. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the least entertaining and directionless 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 NCAA title, to manage a long slog back up the standings. He was supposed to return the team to relevance 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 restart.

Franchise Dysfunction

This is not all Brady's fault, of course. Mark Davis is still the majority owner. Davis has cycled 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 turnover rate that has erased any coherent long-term vision. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter Tom Pelissero said last offseason. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll said of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his opportunity to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady made the key hires and placed the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed a close associate, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to act as general manager. He greenlit a roster plan to Carroll's preference, including trading a third-round pick for Geno Smith and drafting a running back with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier O-line. He recruited Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the top-earning OC in the league. And he approved handing a flaky offensive line – the foundation for that coach and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Results

It's been a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and competitive. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an outdated defensive scheme, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' blocking unit has submarined any aspirations for Ashton Jeanty and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, counting down the plays 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. Their star defender, now just five sacks away from the NFL all-time mark, leads a formidable defense. And there is positive outlook around the stellar-looking first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at RB and a skilled defender at LB. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be The Answer at QB, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was against the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders demonstrated that the stage was not too big for him. With a complete preparation period to prepare, he was solid, taking what the defense gave him and displaying glimpses of improvisation. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his first start since 1995.

Lack 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 league hierarchy: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or rebuilding. Vegas began the season believing they were a few adjustments away from competitiveness. In spite of the clear indications to the contrary, they failed to adjust during the season. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing rookies to discover what they have for the coming years. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been disagreement between the coaches and the management regarding the lack of action for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a weak point. First-year pass catchers two young talents have combined for nine receptions in eleven contests, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on defense over young players in need of reps.

Uncertain Future

What is the path forward? Will the coach return or the GM or Smith? And who truly decides 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 disappears on side quests?

It will prove a challenge for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a conference filled with perennial playoff contenders. Meanwhile, other reconstructing teams have clear trajectories. The New York 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 identity. No strategic vision.

The single factor 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 building, 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.