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Tom Brady dedicated over two decades to a singular mission: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He achieved that dream. Now, in retirement, Brady has ventured into numerous endeavors. He works as a commentator for Fox. He's involved in construction projects in the UK. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's expanding the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his dog. Brady's post-career ventures appear either diverse or unfocused, based on your perspective.

Side projects are one thing. But overseeing a NFL team is hardly a casual commitment. In addition to his other roles, Brady functions as the unofficial decision-maker for the Raiders, presently the most hapless team in the league.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a decisive loss to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a quarterback making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged 2.9 yards per play before meaningless plays in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was tackled 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 offense that has been ineffective for the majority of the campaign. Any way you slice it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. Fortunately Brady didn't have to watch. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was working in Dallas on the network coverage for another game.

A Series of Questionable Choices

In fairness to Brady, he has only been involved for a year guiding the team's personnel choices, becoming a partial stakeholder of the organization in 2024. But he was responsible for every major decision last offseason, and all of them has proven unsuccessful. Those moves have left the Raiders as the least entertaining and aimless franchise in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't hire veteran coach Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a championship and a NCAA title, to oversee a long slog back up the league table. He was supposed to restore the team to competitiveness and then transition them with a solid foundation in place. Instead, Carroll is facing the prospect of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Organizational Turmoil

This isn't all Brady's fault, 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 feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a turnover rate that has eliminated any clear strategic direction. Still, it's Brady's influence that are all over this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," league reporter Tom Pelissero commented last summer. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll stated of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his opportunity to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady was responsible for the crucial appointments and placed the Raiders on this directionless path. He hired John Spytek, his college buddy and co-worker in Tampa, to serve as general manager. He greenlit a team strategy to the coach's specifications, including trading a draft selection for Geno Smith and drafting a running back with the sixth pick despite having a poor-performing offensive line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the top-earning OC in the NFL. And he signed off on handing a flaky blocking unit – the foundation for that coordinator and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Results

It's been a disaster. The previous year's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and resilient. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive scheme, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' blocking unit has undermined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty and the run game. If nothing else, Carroll was expected to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, counting down the plays to the conclusion 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 sacks away from the NFL all-time mark, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking first-year players that includes two potential stars – Quinshon Judkins at RB and Carson Schwesinger 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 immediate future.

Admittedly, it was against the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders showed that the stage was not overwhelming for him. With a full week to prepare, he was solid, taking what the defense gave him and displaying flashes of creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his first start since 1995.

Lack of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class symbolize future potential. That's a reflection the Raiders don't want to look into. Successful franchises understand their position in the league hierarchy: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a couple of moves away from competitiveness. In spite of the clear indications otherwise, they haven't pivoted during the season. 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 reportedly already been disagreement between the coaches and the front office regarding the lack of action for two young blockers, despite the offensive line being a sieve. Rookie receivers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine catches in eleven contests, despite the ineffectiveness in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize experienced veterans on the defensive side over rookies in need of reps.

Uncertain Direction

What is the path forward? Will Carroll be back or Spytek or Smith? And who actually makes those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise operate when its most powerful decision-maker logs in occasionally, signs off franchise-altering moves, and then disappears on other projects?

It's going to be a challenge for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a conference filled with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have paths. The Jets are stocked with future draft picks. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have nothing. No foundation. No franchise QB. No identity. No strategic vision.

The single factor more dangerous than being ineffective in the NFL is not knowing you're bad. The Raiders don't know 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.