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Tom Brady committed over two decades to a singular mission: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in league history. He accomplished that goal. Now, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into various pursuits. He serves as a commentator for a major network. He's involved in development ventures in Birmingham. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's expanding the NFL to the Middle East. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his family pet. Brady's post-career activities appear either diverse or unfocused, based on your perspective.

Secondary ventures are one thing. But managing a professional franchise is not a casual commitment. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady functions as the de facto football leader for the Raiders, presently the most hapless team in the league.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on this past weekend after suffering a 24-10 defeat to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a quarterback making his professional debut. The Raiders' offense averaged less than three yards per play before meaningless plays in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a season record for any franchise this year. On the defensive side, Las Vegas allowed significant gains 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 primary decision-maker of this latest Vegas mess was working in Dallas on the network coverage for another game.

A Collection of Questionable Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only been involved for a year guiding the team's personnel choices, after becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last offseason, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those moves have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless franchise in the NFL.

This wasn't expected to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't appoint veteran coach Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a championship and a NCAA title, to oversee a long slog back up the standings. He was expected to return the team to competitiveness and then transition them with a stable base in place. Instead, Carroll is staring at the prospect of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Franchise Turmoil

This is not entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. Mark Davis 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 general manager in 15 years, a instability that has erased any coherent long-term vision. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," NFL Insider Tom Pelissero 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 was responsible for the key hires and placed the Raiders on this rudderless course. He appointed a close associate, his college buddy and co-worker in Tampa, to act as GM. He greenlit a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including dealing a draft selection for Geno Smith and selecting a RB No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He lured an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the top-earning OC in the league. And he approved entrusting a flaky blocking unit – the foundation for that coach and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Results

It's been a disaster. The previous year's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and resilient. This year's Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has implemented an old-fashioned defensive scheme, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any aspirations for their rookie and the ground attack. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, counting down the snaps to the conclusion of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was pronounced. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Myles Garrett, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the NFL 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 Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be the permanent solution at QB, but who is An Answer in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was against the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders showed that the stage was not overwhelming for him. With a complete preparation period to prepare, he was solid, taking what the opposition gave him and showing flashes of improvisation. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his first start since 1995.

Lack of Vision

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' rookie class represent future potential. That's a reflection the Raiders should avoid. Good organizations understand their situation in the league hierarchy: you're either a championship candidate, a frisky playoff team, or rebuilding. Vegas entered 2025 believing they were a few adjustments away from competitiveness. In spite of the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, they failed to adjust midstream. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be throwing out young players to discover what they have for the future. But only two first-year players have seen significant action. There has apparently already been tension between the coaches and the front office regarding the limited playing time for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the offensive line being a sieve. Rookie receivers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine catches in eleven contests, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out grizzled vets on defense over rookies in need of experience.

Unclear Future

Where is the future direction? Will the coach return or the GM or the quarterback? And who actually makes those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its most powerful decision-maker logs in occasionally, approves major organizational decisions, and then disappears on other projects?

It will prove a struggle for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a division stacked with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have paths. The Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. No core. No franchise QB. No identity. No strategic vision.

The only thing more dangerous than being ineffective in the NFL is not recognizing you're bad. The Raiders lack clarity on where they are, what they are developing, or who will call the shots in the offseason.

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