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Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering mission: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in league history. He accomplished that goal. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into various pursuits. He works as a broadcaster for Fox. He's involved in development ventures in Birmingham. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's expanding American football to Saudi Arabia. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He replicated his dog. Brady's post-career ventures appear either eclectic or aimless, depending on your viewpoint.

Side projects are one thing. But overseeing a NFL team is hardly a casual commitment. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady functions as the de facto football leader for the Raiders, presently the least successful team in the NFL.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on this past weekend after enduring a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were humiliated by a underperforming team with a quarterback making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offense averaged 2.9 yards per play before garbage-time plays in the final period. Geno Smith was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a single-game high for any franchise this year. On defense, Las Vegas surrendered significant gains to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional for the majority of the season. However you analyze it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to witness it. The primary decision-maker of this current situation was sitting in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Series of Dubious Decisions

To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season guiding the team's personnel choices, becoming a minority owner of the franchise in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last offseason, and each one has backfired. Those decisions have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless franchise in the NFL.

This wasn't supposed to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't hire 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 standings. He was supposed to return the team to relevance and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Instead, Carroll is facing the prospect of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Organizational Turmoil

This is not all Brady's fault, naturally. The majority owner is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has churned through coaches and executives at a rate that would make even the New York Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a instability that has erased 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," league reporter a prominent journalist commented last offseason. "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 was responsible for the crucial appointments and placed the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed a close associate, his former teammate and colleague in Tampa, to act as GM. He approved a team strategy to Carroll's preference, including trading a draft selection for Smith and drafting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the top-earning offensive coordinator in the league. And he approved handing a flaky offensive line – the bedrock for that coordinator and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.

Disastrous Results

It's been a disaster. 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, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' blocking unit has submarined any aspirations 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 snaps to the end of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was stark. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. Their star defender, now just five sacks away from the NFL all-time mark, 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 Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be the permanent solution at QB, but who is An Answer in the short-term.

Granted, it was facing the Raiders' defense, but Sanders showed that the stage was not overwhelming for him. With a full week to get ready, he was effective, taking what the defense gave him and showing flashes of improvisation. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start since 1995.

Lack of Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' first-year players symbolize promise. That's a mirror the Raiders don't want to look into. Successful franchises recognize their position in the ecosystem: you're either a contender, a competitive squad, or rebuilding. Vegas entered 2025 believing they were a couple of moves away from respectability. In spite of the overwhelming evidence otherwise, they haven't pivoted during the season. 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 real playing time. There has apparently already been disagreement between the coaching staff and the front office regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the offensive line being a weak point. Rookie receivers two young talents have combined for nine receptions in 11 games, 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 experience.

Uncertain Direction

Where is the path forward? Will the coach return or the GM or the quarterback? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team function when its primary influencer logs in occasionally, signs off franchise-altering moves, and then disappears on side quests?

It's going to be a challenge for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a division filled with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have paths. The Jets are stocked with upcoming selections. The Tennessee and New York have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No franchise QB. No distinctive style. No strategic vision.

The only thing more problematic than being ineffective in the NFL is not recognizing you're underperforming. The Raiders lack clarity on where they are, what they are developing, or who will make decisions in the summer.

Tom Brady once mastered football through ruthless focus. The Raiders could use more than limited attention of it.