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Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering objective: becoming the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He accomplished that goal. Today, in retirement, Brady has explored numerous endeavors. He serves as a commentator for Fox. He's involved in development ventures in the UK. He has promoted digital assets. He's expanding American football to the Middle East. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's retirement ventures appear either diverse or aimless, based on your viewpoint.

Side projects are understandable. But overseeing a professional franchise is hardly a casual commitment. Alongside his other roles, Brady functions as the de facto football leader for the Raiders, presently the least successful team in the NFL.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on this past weekend after suffering a decisive loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were embarrassed by a underperforming team with a quarterback making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged less than three yards per play before garbage-time plays 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 defense, Las Vegas surrendered significant gains to a Cleveland offense that has been dysfunctional for the majority of the campaign. However you analyze it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. Fortunately Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this current situation was working in Dallas on the network coverage 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, after becoming a minority owner of the franchise in 2024. But he was responsible for every major decision last summer, and each one has backfired. Those decisions have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless team in the NFL.

This wasn't supposed to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't hire veteran coach Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a Super Bowl and a NCAA title, 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. Conversely, Carroll is facing the possibility of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Franchise Turmoil

This is not all Brady's fault, naturally. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has cycled through head coaches and executives at a rate that would make even the Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a instability that has eliminated any clear strategic direction. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this version of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," NFL Insider 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 chance to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady was responsible for the crucial appointments and placed the Raiders on this directionless path. He hired John Spytek, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to serve as GM. He greenlit a team strategy to Carroll's preference, including dealing a draft selection for Geno Smith and selecting a running back with the sixth pick despite having a poor-performing O-line. He lured Chip Kelly away from the college ranks, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he signed off on handing a unreliable blocking unit – the foundation for that coach and running back – to Carroll's son.

Disastrous Outcomes

It's been a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and resilient. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an outdated defensive scheme, the quarterback looks past his prime and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the conclusion of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was pronounced. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Their star defender, now just five quarterback takedowns 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 RB and a skilled defender at LB. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be The Answer at quarterback, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

Granted, it was facing the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders demonstrated that the stage was not overwhelming for him. With a full week to get ready, he was effective, accepting what the opposition gave him and displaying glimpses of improvisation. 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' rookie class symbolize future potential. That's a mirror the Raiders don't want to look into. Good organizations understand their situation in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a frisky playoff team, or rebuilding. Vegas entered 2025 believing they were a couple of moves away from competitiveness. Despite the clear indications to the contrary, they haven't pivoted during the season. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be throwing out rookies to discover what they have for the future. But only two first-year players have seen significant action. There has apparently already been disagreement between the coaches and the front office regarding the lack of action for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a sieve. Rookie receivers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have combined for nine catches in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to roll out experienced veterans on the defensive side over rookies in need of experience.

Unclear Direction

What is the future direction? Will the coach return or the GM or Smith? And who actually makes those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a team function when its most powerful decision-maker logs in occasionally, signs off franchise-altering moves, and then vanishes on other projects?

It's going to be 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 paths. The New York Jets are stocked with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have nothing. No core. No quarterback. No distinctive style. No strategic vision.

The single factor more problematic than being bad in the NFL is not recognizing you're underperforming. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are building, or who will call the shots in the offseason.

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