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Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering objective: becoming the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He accomplished that goal. Now, in retirement, Brady has ventured into various pursuits. He works as a commentator for a major network. He's involved in construction projects in the UK. He has promoted cryptocurrency. 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 unfocused, depending on your viewpoint.

Side projects are understandable. But managing a NFL team is hardly a casual commitment. In addition to his other roles, Brady functions as the de facto football leader for the Raiders, presently the most hapless team in the NFL.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a quarterback making his professional debut. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged less than three yards per play before garbage-time plays in the fourth quarter. Geno Smith was tackled 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a single-game high for any franchise this year. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered big plays to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been ineffective for most of the season. Any way you slice it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to watch. The primary decision-maker of this current situation was working in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for another game.

A Collection of Dubious Choices

In fairness to Brady, he has only been involved for a year leading the team's football decisions, becoming a minority owner of the franchise in 2024. But he was accountable for every major decision last summer, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those decisions have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless 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 championship and a college national championship, to manage a long slog back up the league table. He was supposed to return the team to relevance and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Instead, Carroll is staring at the possibility of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Franchise Turmoil

This isn't all Brady's fault, of course. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has cycled 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 general manager in 15 years, a turnover rate that has eliminated any coherent long-term vision. Nevertheless, it's Brady's fingerprints that are all over this version of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter a prominent journalist commented last offseason. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll said of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his opportunity to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired John Spytek, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to act as general manager. He greenlit a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including dealing a draft selection for Geno Smith and drafting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier O-line. He lured Chip Kelly away from the college ranks, making him the highest-paid OC in the NFL. And he signed off on entrusting a flaky blocking unit – the foundation for that coordinator and running back – to Carroll's son.

Disastrous Outcomes

It has become a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and competitive. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an outdated defensive philosophy, the quarterback looks past his prime and the Raiders' blocking unit has submarined any aspirations for Ashton Jeanty and the ground attack. At the very least, Carroll was supposed to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, waiting for the plays to the end of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was pronounced. 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 formidable defense. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking rookie class that includes multiple promising talents – a dynamic runner at RB and Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. 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.

Granted, it was facing the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders showed that the NFL level was not too big 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 Cleveland rookie QB to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Vision

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' first-year players represent future potential. That's a mirror the Raiders don't want to look into. Successful franchises recognize their position in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas began the season believing they were a few adjustments away from competitiveness. Despite the clear indications to the contrary, they failed to adjust midstream. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing rookies to find out what they have for the future. But only two rookies have seen significant action. There has apparently already been tension between the coaching staff and the management regarding the lack of action for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a sieve. First-year pass catchers two young talents have combined for nine receptions in eleven contests, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to roll out grizzled vets on the defensive side over rookies in need of reps.

Unclear Future

Where is the future direction? Will the coach return or the GM or the quarterback? And who truly decides those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise operate when its primary influencer participates sporadically, approves major organizational decisions, and then disappears on other projects?

It will prove a challenge for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a conference stacked with consistently successful teams. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have clear trajectories. The New York Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have nothing. No core. No franchise QB. No distinctive style. No strategic vision.

The only thing more dangerous than being ineffective in the NFL is not knowing you're bad. The Raiders lack clarity on where they are, what they are developing, or who will call the shots in the summer.

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