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Tom Brady committed over two decades to a singular objective: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He accomplished that goal. Now, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into numerous endeavors. He works as a commentator for Fox. He's involved in construction projects in Birmingham. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's spreading American football to Saudi Arabia. He maintains a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his family pet. Brady's post-career activities appear either diverse or aimless, depending on your perspective.

Side projects are one thing. But overseeing a professional franchise is not a casual commitment. Alongside his various responsibilities, Brady also serves as the unofficial decision-maker 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 QB making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offense averaged less than three yards per play before meaningless action in the final period. Their quarterback was tackled 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a single-game high for any team this year. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered big plays to a Cleveland offense that has been ineffective for the majority of the season. However you analyze 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 Dubious Decisions

To be fair to Brady, he has only been involved for a year leading the team's personnel choices, after becoming a partial stakeholder of the organization in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last summer, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those decisions have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless team in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't hire veteran coach Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a championship and a NCAA title, to oversee a protracted process back up the standings. He was supposed to return the team to competitiveness and then hand them off with a solid foundation in place. Instead, Carroll is staring at the prospect of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Franchise Dysfunction

This is not entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. The majority owner is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has cycled through head coaches and executives at a speed 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 turnover rate 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 Brady's project," league reporter a prominent journalist said last offseason. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll said of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his chance to put his stamp on a team."

Brady was responsible for the crucial appointments and set the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed a close associate, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to act as general manager. He approved a roster plan to Carroll's preference, including dealing a third-round pick for Smith and drafting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a poor-performing O-line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he signed off on handing a flaky blocking unit – the foundation for that coordinator and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It has become a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and resilient. The current Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive scheme, the quarterback looks washed and the Raiders' blocking unit has undermined any hopes for their rookie and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, waiting for the plays to the end of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was stark. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Myles Garrett, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the league single-season record, leads a formidable defense. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at running back and a skilled defender at LB. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be the permanent solution at QB, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

Granted, it was against the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders demonstrated that the stage was not too big for him. With a full week to get ready, he was effective, accepting what the defense gave him and displaying flashes of improvisation. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut game since 1995.

Absence of Vision

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' first-year players symbolize promise. 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 championship candidate, a competitive squad, or rebuilding. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a couple of moves away from competitiveness. In spite of the overwhelming evidence otherwise, they haven't pivoted during the season. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing rookies to discover what they have for the coming years. But only two first-year players have seen significant action. There has apparently already been tension between the coaching staff and the management 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 eleven contests, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out experienced veterans on the defensive side over young players in need of reps.

Unclear Direction

What is the future direction? Will the coach return or Spytek or Smith? And who truly decides those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a team function when its most powerful decision-maker logs in occasionally, approves major organizational decisions, and then vanishes on other projects?

It will prove a challenge for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a conference filled with consistently successful teams. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have clear trajectories. The Jets are stocked with upcoming selections. The Tennessee and New York have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No core. No franchise QB. No distinctive style. No strategic vision.

The only thing more problematic than being ineffective in the NFL is not knowing you're underperforming. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are building, or who will call the shots in the summer.

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