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Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a singular mission: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in league history. He achieved that dream. Now, in retirement, Brady has explored various pursuits. He works as a commentator for a major network. He's engaged in construction projects in the UK. He has endorsed digital assets. He's spreading the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his dog. Brady's retirement activities appear either eclectic or aimless, based on your viewpoint.

Secondary ventures are one thing. But overseeing a NFL team is hardly a casual commitment. Alongside his other roles, Brady also serves as the unofficial football leader for the Las Vegas franchise, presently the most hapless team in the NFL.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a 24-10 defeat to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were humiliated by a underperforming team with a QB making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offense averaged 2.9 yards per play before garbage-time action in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was tackled 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a season record for any franchise this season. On the defensive side, Las Vegas allowed big plays to a Cleveland offense that has been ineffective for the majority of the campaign. However you analyze it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to watch. The architect of this current situation was working in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for another game.

A Series of Dubious Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only spent one season guiding the team's football decisions, after becoming a partial stakeholder of the organization in 2024. But he was accountable for every major decision last offseason, and all of them has backfired. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless team in the NFL.

This wasn't supposed to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't hire 74-year-old Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a championship and a college national championship, to manage a protracted process back up the standings. He was supposed to return the team to competitiveness and then transition them with a stable base in place. Conversely, Carroll is facing the prospect of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Franchise Turmoil

This is not entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. Mark Davis is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through coaches and executives at a rate that would make even the New York Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a instability that has erased any clear strategic direction. Still, it's Brady's fingerprints that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," NFL Insider Tom Pelissero said last offseason. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll said of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his chance to put his stamp on a team."

Brady made the key hires and set the Raiders on this directionless path. He hired John Spytek, his former teammate and colleague in Tampa, to act as general manager. He greenlit a team strategy to Carroll's preference, including dealing a draft selection for Geno Smith and drafting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier O-line. He lured an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the top-earning OC in the NFL. And he signed off on entrusting a unreliable offensive line – the bedrock for that coach and running back – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Results

It has become a disaster. The previous year's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and competitive. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive philosophy, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any hopes for their rookie and the ground attack. If nothing else, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, counting down the plays to the end of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was stark. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Myles Garrett, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the NFL single-season record, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking rookie class that includes two potential stars – 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' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not overwhelming for him. With a full week to get ready, he was effective, taking what the opposition gave him and displaying glimpses of improvisation. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut game since 1995.

Absence of Vision

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' first-year players symbolize future potential. That's a reflection the Raiders should avoid. Good organizations recognize their position in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a few adjustments away from respectability. In spite of the overwhelming evidence otherwise, they failed to adjust midstream. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be throwing out young players to find out what they have for the future. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has apparently already been tension between the coaching staff and the front office regarding the limited playing time for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the o-line being a sieve. Rookie receivers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have combined for nine receptions in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize experienced veterans on the defensive side over rookies in need of reps.

Uncertain Future

Where is the future direction? Will the coach return or the GM or Smith? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise operate when its most powerful decision-maker participates sporadically, signs off major organizational decisions, 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. Meanwhile, other rebuilders have paths. The Jets are loaded with future draft picks. The Tennessee and New York have talented young QBs. The Raiders have nothing. No foundation. No quarterback. No identity. No plan.

The single factor more dangerous than being bad in the NFL is not recognizing you're underperforming. The Raiders lack clarity on where they are, what they are building, or who will make decisions in the summer.

Tom Brady once mastered football through intense dedication. The Raiders could use more than an hour of it.