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Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a singular objective: becoming the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He accomplished that dream. Now, in his post-playing career, Brady has explored numerous pursuits. He serves as a commentator for Fox. He's involved in construction projects in Birmingham. He has endorsed digital assets. He's expanding the NFL to the Middle East. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's retirement ventures appear either diverse or unfocused, based on your perspective.

Side projects are understandable. But overseeing a NFL team is not a casual commitment. 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 NFL.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on Sunday after enduring a decisive loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were embarrassed by a underperforming team with a quarterback 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 was pressured 46 times, a season record for any team this season. On defense, Las Vegas allowed big plays to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional for most of the campaign. Any way you slice it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. Fortunately Brady didn't have to witness it. The primary decision-maker of this current situation was sitting in Dallas on the network coverage for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Collection of Questionable Choices

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 major decision last offseason, and each one has backfired. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the least entertaining and aimless team in the NFL.

This wasn't expected to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't hire 74-year-old Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a Super Bowl and a college national championship, to manage a protracted process back up the standings. He was expected to restore the team to relevance and then transition them with a solid foundation in place. Conversely, Carroll is staring at the possibility of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Franchise Turmoil

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. The majority owner is still the controlling stakeholder. 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 coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a turnover rate that has eliminated 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 summer. "He's been deeply engaged," 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 placed the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired a close associate, his former teammate and colleague in Tampa, to serve as general manager. He approved a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including trading a third-round pick for Geno Smith and drafting a running back No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier O-line. He recruited Chip Kelly away from the college ranks, making him the top-earning OC in the league. And he approved entrusting a unreliable offensive line – the foundation for that coordinator and running back – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It has become a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and resilient. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive philosophy, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' blocking unit has submarined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty and the run game. If nothing else, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, counting down 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 NFL single-season record, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is positive outlook around the impressive first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – a dynamic runner at running back and a skilled defender at linebacker. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be The Answer at QB, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

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

Absence of Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' first-year players symbolize promise. That's a reflection the Raiders don't want to look into. Good organizations recognize their situation in the ecosystem: you're either a contender, a competitive squad, or rebuilding. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a couple of moves away from respectability. Despite the clear indications otherwise, they failed to adjust midstream. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing young players to discover what they have for the coming years. But only two first-year players have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been tension between the coaching staff and the management regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a sieve. Rookie receivers two young talents have combined for nine catches in eleven contests, despite the lack of spark in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize experienced veterans on defense over rookies in need of experience.

Unclear Future

Where is the future direction? Will the coach return or the GM or the quarterback? And who actually makes those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise function when its primary influencer 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 division stacked with consistently successful teams. Meanwhile, other rebuilders have paths. The Jets are stocked with future draft picks. The Tennessee and New York have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No quarterback. No distinctive style. No plan.

The single factor more problematic than being ineffective in the NFL is not recognizing you're bad. The Raiders lack clarity on where they are, what they are building, or who will call the shots in the offseason.

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