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Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a singular objective: becoming the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He accomplished that goal. Now, in retirement, Brady has explored various pursuits. He serves as a commentator for a major network. He's involved in development ventures in Birmingham. He has endorsed digital assets. He's spreading American football to the Middle East. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's post-career ventures appear either eclectic or aimless, depending on your perspective.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But managing a NFL team is hardly a part-time job. In addition to his other roles, Brady also serves as the de facto decision-maker for the Las Vegas franchise, currently the most hapless team in the league.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a decisive loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were embarrassed by a struggling team with a quarterback making his professional debut. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged 2.9 yards per play before garbage-time plays in the final period. Geno Smith was sacked 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a season record for any franchise this year. On the defensive side, Las Vegas allowed significant gains to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been ineffective for most of the campaign. Any way you slice it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. Fortunately Brady didn't have to watch. The primary decision-maker of this latest Vegas mess was working in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for another game.

A Series of Dubious Decisions

To be fair to Brady, he has only been involved for a year guiding the team's personnel choices, becoming a minority owner of the franchise 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 directionless franchise in the league.

This wasn't expected to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't appoint veteran coach Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a Super Bowl and a college national championship, to manage a protracted process back up the league table. He was expected to restore the team to competitiveness and then hand them off with a solid foundation in place. Conversely, Carroll is staring at the possibility of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Organizational Dysfunction

This is not all Brady's fault, naturally. Mark Davis is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has churned through head coaches and front-office heads at a speed that would make even the New York 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. Still, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," NFL Insider a prominent journalist said last offseason. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll stated of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his chance to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady made the crucial appointments and placed the Raiders on this directionless path. He hired John Spytek, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to serve as general manager. He approved a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including trading a draft selection for Smith and selecting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a poor-performing O-line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the highest-paid OC in the NFL. And he approved handing a unreliable offensive line – the foundation for that coordinator and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Results

It's been a complete failure. The previous year's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were scrappy and competitive. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive scheme, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' blocking unit has submarined 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, waiting for the plays to the conclusion of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was stark. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. Their star defender, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the league all-time mark, leads a formidable defense. And there is optimism around the impressive first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – a dynamic runner at RB and a skilled defender at LB. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be the permanent solution at quarterback, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

Granted, it was facing the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not overwhelming for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was solid, taking what the opposition gave him and displaying glimpses of creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Vision

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' first-year players symbolize promise. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Good organizations recognize their situation in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a frisky playoff team, or rebuilding. Vegas entered 2025 believing they were a few adjustments away from competitiveness. Despite the clear indications to the contrary, they haven't pivoted midstream. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be throwing out rookies to find out what they have for the future. But only two first-year players have seen significant action. There has reportedly already been tension between the coaching staff and the front office regarding the lack of action for two young blockers, despite the offensive line being a sieve. First-year pass catchers two young talents have totaled nine receptions in eleven contests, despite the ineffectiveness in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on defense over rookies in need of experience.

Uncertain Future

What is the path forward? Will Carroll be back or Spytek or Smith? And who truly decides those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a team function when its primary influencer logs in occasionally, approves franchise-altering moves, and then vanishes on side quests?

It's going to be a struggle for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a conference stacked with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other rebuilders have paths. The New York Jets are stocked with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have nothing. No foundation. No quarterback. No identity. No strategic vision.

The only thing 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 offseason.

Tom Brady once mastered football through intense dedication. The Raiders could benefit from more than limited attention of it.