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Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a singular objective: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in league history. He accomplished that dream. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into various endeavors. He works as a broadcaster for a major network. He's involved in construction projects in Birmingham. He has promoted digital assets. He's expanding the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his dog. Brady's retirement activities appear either eclectic or aimless, based on your perspective.

Secondary ventures are one thing. But overseeing a professional franchise is not a part-time job. 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 dropped to 2–9 on this past weekend after enduring a decisive loss to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a quarterback making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged less than three yards per play before garbage-time action in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was tackled 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a season record for any team this year. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered big plays to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been ineffective for the majority of the season. However you analyze it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was sitting in Dallas on the network coverage for another game.

A Series of Questionable Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only been involved for a year leading the team's football decisions, after becoming a partial stakeholder of the organization in 2024. But he was accountable for every major decision last summer, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those moves have left the Raiders as the least entertaining and aimless franchise in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't appoint 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 restore the team to relevance and then transition them with a stable base in place. Instead, 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. The majority owner is still the majority owner. 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 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 all over this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," league reporter Tom Pelissero commented last summer. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll stated 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 trading a third-round pick for Smith and selecting a RB No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier O-line. He recruited Chip Kelly away from the college ranks, making him the top-earning offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he approved handing a flaky blocking unit – the foundation for that coach and running back – to Carroll's son.

Disastrous Results

It has become a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and competitive. The current Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive scheme, the quarterback looks washed and the Raiders' blocking unit has submarined any aspirations 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 conclusion of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was pronounced. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Myles Garrett, now just five sacks away from the NFL single-season record, leads a formidable defense. And there is positive outlook 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 Answer at QB, but who is An Answer in the immediate future.

Granted, it was against the Raiders' defense, but Sanders showed that the NFL level was not overwhelming for him. With a complete preparation period to prepare, he was effective, taking what the opposition gave him and showing glimpses of improvisation. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' first-year players symbolize promise. That's a reflection the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises 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 respectability. 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 future. But only two first-year players have seen significant action. There has reportedly already been disagreement between the coaches and the front office regarding the lack of action for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the offensive line being a sieve. First-year pass catchers two young talents have combined for nine receptions in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on the defensive side over rookies in need of reps.

Uncertain Future

Where is the path forward? Will the coach return or Spytek or the quarterback? And who truly decides those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a team function when its primary influencer logs in occasionally, approves franchise-altering moves, and then vanishes on other projects?

It will prove a struggle for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a conference stacked with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have paths. The New York Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have nothing. No core. No franchise QB. No identity. No strategic vision.

The single factor more dangerous than being bad in the NFL is not knowing you're bad. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are building, or who will make decisions in the offseason.

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