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Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering mission: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He achieved that goal. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into numerous pursuits. He works as a commentator for a major network. He's engaged in construction projects in the UK. He has endorsed cryptocurrency. He's expanding the NFL to the Middle East. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his family pet. Brady's post-career activities appear either diverse or unfocused, based on your viewpoint.

Side projects are understandable. But overseeing a professional franchise is hardly a part-time job. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady also serves as the de facto decision-maker for the Raiders, presently the least successful team in the league.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a 24-10 defeat to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were embarrassed by a underperforming team with a quarterback making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged less than three yards per play before garbage-time plays in the final period. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a season record for any team this year. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered big plays to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been ineffective for most of the campaign. However you analyze it, it was a thorough domination. At least Brady didn't have to watch. The primary decision-maker of this current situation was sitting in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for another game.

A Series of Dubious Choices

To be fair to Brady, he has only been involved for a year leading the team's football decisions, becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise in 2024. But he was responsible for every major decision last offseason, and each one has backfired. Those moves have left the Raiders as the least entertaining and aimless franchise in the NFL.

This wasn't expected to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't appoint veteran coach Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a Super Bowl and a college national championship, to manage a long slog back up the league table. He was supposed to restore the team to relevance and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Conversely, Carroll is staring at the prospect of being one-and-done 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 cycled through head coaches and front-office heads 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 instability that has eliminated any coherent long-term vision. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence that are all over this version of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," NFL Insider Tom Pelissero said last offseason. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll said of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his chance to leave his mark on a team."

Brady made the key hires and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He appointed a close associate, his college buddy and co-worker in Tampa, to serve as general manager. He approved a team strategy to the coach's specifications, including dealing 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 NCAA, making him the top-earning OC in the league. And he approved handing a flaky offensive line – the bedrock for that coach and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It has become a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were scrappy and resilient. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive philosophy, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, counting down the plays to the conclusion of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was pronounced. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. Their star defender, now just five sacks away from the league single-season record, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – a dynamic runner at running back and a skilled defender at LB. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be the permanent solution at quarterback, but who is a viable option in the immediate future.

Admittedly, it was facing the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders demonstrated that the stage was not overwhelming for him. With a full week to prepare, he was solid, taking what the opposition gave him and showing glimpses of improvisation. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Vision

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' first-year players symbolize future potential. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises understand their situation 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 overwhelming evidence 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 coming years. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has apparently already been tension between the coaches and the management regarding the limited playing time for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the offensive line being a weak point. Rookie receivers two young talents have totaled nine catches in 11 games, despite the ineffectiveness in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize experienced veterans on defense over rookies in need of experience.

Unclear Future

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

It's going to be a challenge for the Raiders to improve – 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 nothing. No foundation. No franchise QB. No distinctive style. No plan.

The single factor more dangerous 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 limited attention of it.