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Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering mission: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He accomplished 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 development ventures in Birmingham. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's expanding American football to Saudi Arabia. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's post-career ventures appear either diverse or unfocused, depending on your viewpoint.

Side projects are understandable. But managing a NFL team is not a casual commitment. Alongside his other roles, Brady functions as the unofficial football leader for the Las Vegas franchise, presently the least successful team in the NFL.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on Sunday after enduring a decisive loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a QB making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offense averaged 2.9 yards per play before garbage-time action in the final period. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a season record for any franchise this year. On the defensive side, Las Vegas allowed big plays to a Cleveland offense that has been ineffective for the majority of the campaign. Any way you slice it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. Fortunately Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was working in Dallas on the network coverage for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Series of Questionable Choices

To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season guiding the team's football decisions, after becoming a partial stakeholder of the organization in 2024. But he was responsible for every significant move last summer, and each one has backfired. Those decisions have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless franchise 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 college national championship, to manage a protracted process back up the league table. He was supposed to return the team to competitiveness 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.

Franchise Dysfunction

This isn't all Brady's fault, of course. Mark Davis is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through coaches and front-office heads at a rate that would make even the Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a turnover rate that has eliminated any clear strategic direction. Still, it's Brady's fingerprints that are all over this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," NFL Insider a prominent journalist said last offseason. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll stated of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his opportunity to put his stamp on a franchise."

Brady made the crucial appointments and placed the Raiders on this directionless path. He hired John Spytek, his former teammate and colleague in Tampa, to serve as GM. He greenlit a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including dealing a draft selection for Smith and drafting a RB No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier O-line. He recruited Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the top-earning OC in the league. And he signed off on entrusting a unreliable blocking unit – the foundation for that coordinator and running back – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Results

It's been a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and competitive. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive scheme, the quarterback looks washed and the Raiders' blocking unit has submarined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, counting down 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 dominant defensive unit. And there is positive outlook around the stellar-looking rookie class that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at running back and Carson Schwesinger at LB. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be The Answer at quarterback, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

Granted, it was against 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, accepting what the opposition gave him and displaying flashes of creativity. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start since 1995.

Lack of Vision

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' rookie class symbolize promise. That's a reflection the Raiders don't want to look into. Successful franchises recognize their position in the league hierarchy: 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 to the contrary, they failed to adjust midstream. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing young players to find out what they have for the future. But only two rookies have seen significant action. There has reportedly already been disagreement between the coaches and the management regarding the lack of action for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the o-line being a weak point. Rookie receivers two young talents have combined for nine catches in eleven contests, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize experienced veterans on defense over rookies in need of experience.

Uncertain Direction

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 most powerful decision-maker participates sporadically, 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 division stacked with consistently successful teams. At the same time, other rebuilders have clear trajectories. The New York Jets are loaded with future draft picks. The Tennessee and New York have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have nothing. No core. No franchise QB. No distinctive style. No strategic vision.

The single factor 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 building, or who will call the shots in the summer.

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