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Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering objective: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He accomplished that dream. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into various endeavors. He serves as a broadcaster for Fox. He's engaged in development ventures in Birmingham. He has endorsed digital assets. He's spreading the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's post-career ventures appear either eclectic or aimless, depending on your perspective.

Side projects are understandable. But managing a NFL team is not a part-time job. Alongside his various responsibilities, Brady functions as the unofficial football leader for the Raiders, currently the most hapless team in the league.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were embarrassed by a underperforming team with a quarterback making his professional debut. The Raiders' offense averaged less than three yards per play before meaningless action in the final period. Geno Smith was tackled 10 times and faced pressure 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 the majority of the campaign. However you analyze it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. At least Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was working in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Series of Dubious Choices

To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's personnel choices, becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise in 2024. But he was accountable for every major decision last offseason, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those decisions have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless franchise in the NFL.

This wasn't supposed to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't appoint veteran coach Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a Super Bowl and a college national championship, to manage a long slog back up the standings. He was supposed to restore the team to relevance and then transition them with a stable base in place. Conversely, Carroll is staring at the possibility of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Organizational Dysfunction

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, of course. Mark Davis is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through coaches and executives at a rate that would make even the Jets feel embarrassed. 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 fingerprints that are evident throughout this version of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," NFL Insider Tom Pelissero said last summer. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll said of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his opportunity to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady made the key hires and placed the Raiders on this directionless path. He hired a close associate, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to serve as general manager. He greenlit a team strategy to Carroll's preference, including dealing a third-round pick for Geno Smith and selecting a running back with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier O-line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the league. And he approved entrusting a unreliable offensive line – the foundation for that coordinator and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Results

It has become a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and competitive. This year's Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has implemented an old-fashioned defensive philosophy, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any aspirations for Ashton Jeanty and the ground attack. If nothing else, Carroll was expected to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the end of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was stark. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. Myles Garrett, now just five sacks away from the league single-season record, leads a formidable defense. And there is optimism around the impressive 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 Answer at QB, but who is An Answer in the short-term.

Granted, it was facing the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders showed that the stage was not too big for him. With a full week to prepare, he was effective, taking what the opposition gave him and displaying glimpses of creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his first start since 1995.

Lack of Vision

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' first-year players symbolize future potential. That's a reflection the Raiders should avoid. Good organizations understand their situation in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 believing they were a couple of moves away from respectability. In spite of the overwhelming evidence otherwise, they failed to adjust midstream. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be throwing out rookies to discover what they have for the coming years. But only two rookies have seen significant action. There has apparently already been disagreement between the coaching staff and the front office regarding the lack of action for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the offensive line being a weak point. First-year pass catchers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine catches in eleven contests, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to roll out grizzled vets on defense over young players in need of experience.

Uncertain Future

What is the future direction? Will Carroll be back or the GM or Smith? And who truly decides those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise operate when its primary influencer logs in occasionally, approves major organizational decisions, and then vanishes on side quests?

It will prove a challenge for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a conference stacked with consistently successful teams. At the same time, other rebuilders have paths. The Jets are loaded with future draft picks. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have nothing. No foundation. No quarterback. No identity. No plan.

The only thing more problematic than being bad in the NFL is not knowing you're bad. The Raiders lack clarity on where they are, what they are building, or who will make decisions in the offseason.

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