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Tom Brady committed over two decades to a unwavering objective: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in league history. He achieved that dream. Now, in his post-playing career, Brady has explored numerous endeavors. He works as a commentator for Fox. He's involved in development ventures in the UK. He has endorsed digital assets. He's spreading the NFL to the Middle East. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's retirement activities appear either eclectic or aimless, based on your perspective.

Side projects are one thing. But overseeing a professional franchise is not a casual commitment. Alongside his other roles, Brady functions as the de facto football leader for the Las Vegas franchise, presently the least successful team in the NFL.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on this past weekend after enduring a decisive loss to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were humiliated by a underperforming team with a QB making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offense averaged less than three yards per play before meaningless action in the final period. Their quarterback was tackled 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a single-game high for any franchise this season. On defense, Las Vegas allowed big plays to a Cleveland offense that has been dysfunctional for most of the campaign. Any way you slice it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to witness it. The primary decision-maker of this latest Vegas mess was sitting in Dallas on the network coverage for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Series of Questionable Choices

In fairness to Brady, he has only spent one season guiding the team's football decisions, becoming a partial stakeholder of the organization in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last summer, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those decisions have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless team in the NFL.

This wasn't supposed to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't appoint 74-year-old Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a championship and a NCAA title, to manage a long slog back up the standings. He was expected to return the team to competitiveness and then transition them with a stable base in place. Instead, Carroll is facing the prospect of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Franchise Turmoil

This is not entirely Brady's responsibility, of course. Mark Davis is still the majority owner. Davis has cycled 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 GM in 15 years, a turnover rate 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 Brady's project," NFL Insider a prominent journalist commented last summer. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll stated of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his opportunity to put his stamp on a team."

Brady was responsible for the crucial appointments and placed the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed a close associate, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to act as GM. He greenlit a roster plan to Carroll's preference, including dealing a third-round pick for Smith and selecting a RB No 6 overall despite having a poor-performing offensive line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the highest-paid OC in the NFL. And he signed off on entrusting a unreliable blocking unit – the bedrock for that coordinator and running back – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Results

It has become a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and competitive. The current Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has installed an outdated defensive scheme, the quarterback looks past his prime and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty and the ground attack. If nothing else, Carroll was supposed to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, counting down the snaps to the end of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was stark. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Their star defender, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the league single-season record, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is positive outlook around the stellar-looking rookie class that includes two potential stars – 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 An Answer in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was against the Raiders' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not too big for him. With a full week to get ready, he was solid, accepting what the opposition gave him and displaying flashes of improvisation. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class symbolize future potential. That's a mirror the Raiders don't want to look into. Good organizations understand their position in the league hierarchy: you're either a championship candidate, a frisky playoff team, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 believing they were a couple of moves away from competitiveness. Despite the clear indications otherwise, they failed to adjust during the season. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be throwing out rookies to discover what they have for the future. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been disagreement 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 two young talents have totaled nine receptions in eleven contests, despite the lack of spark in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on defense over young players in need of reps.

Unclear Future

What is the future direction? Will Carroll be back or the GM or the quarterback? And who actually makes those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its primary influencer participates sporadically, signs off franchise-altering moves, and then disappears on other projects?

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 reconstructing teams have paths. The New York Jets are loaded with future draft picks. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No core. No quarterback. No distinctive style. No plan.

The only thing more problematic than being ineffective 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 offseason.

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