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Tom Brady dedicated over two decades to a unwavering objective: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He achieved that goal. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has explored numerous pursuits. He serves as a broadcaster for a major network. He's engaged in development ventures in the UK. He has endorsed cryptocurrency. He's spreading American football to Saudi Arabia. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's retirement activities appear either diverse or aimless, depending on your viewpoint.

Side projects are understandable. But managing a professional franchise is hardly a casual commitment. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady also serves as the de facto decision-maker for the Las Vegas franchise, currently the most hapless team in the NFL.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a QB making his professional debut. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged 2.9 yards per play before meaningless action in the final period. Their quarterback was tackled 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a single-game high for any team this season. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered significant gains to a Cleveland offense that has been dysfunctional for most of the campaign. Any way you slice it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to witness it. The primary decision-maker 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 personnel choices, becoming a minority owner of the organization in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last summer, and all of them has proven unsuccessful. Those decisions have resulted in the Raiders as the least entertaining and aimless team in the league.

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 supposed to restore the team to competitiveness and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Conversely, Carroll is facing the possibility of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Organizational Dysfunction

This is not entirely Brady's responsibility, of course. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through head coaches and front-office heads at a rate that would make even the Jets feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a instability that has eliminated any clear strategic direction. Nevertheless, it's Brady's fingerprints that are all over this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," league reporter a prominent journalist 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 team."

Brady made the key hires and placed the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed a close associate, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to act as GM. He greenlit a team strategy to the coach's specifications, including dealing a third-round pick for Geno Smith and drafting a RB No 6 overall despite having a poor-performing O-line. He recruited Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid OC in the league. And he approved handing a unreliable blocking unit – the bedrock for that coordinator and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.

Disastrous Outcomes

It has become a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were scrappy and resilient. This year's Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has implemented an old-fashioned defensive philosophy, the quarterback looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has submarined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty and the run game. If nothing else, Carroll was supposed to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, counting down the plays 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. Their star defender, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the NFL single-season record, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is optimism around the impressive rookie class that includes two potential stars – Quinshon Judkins at running back and Carson Schwesinger at LB. 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' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not too big for him. With a full week to get ready, he was effective, accepting what the opposition gave him and showing flashes of creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class represent promise. That's a reflection the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises recognize their situation in the league hierarchy: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or rebuilding. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a few adjustments away from competitiveness. Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, they failed to adjust during the season. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing young players to discover what they have for the future. But only two first-year players have seen real playing time. There has apparently already been disagreement between the coaching staff and the front office regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a weak point. Rookie receivers two young talents have totaled nine receptions in 11 games, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on defense over young players in need of reps.

Unclear Direction

What is the path forward? Will the coach return or Spytek or the quarterback? And who actually makes those choices, 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's going to be a challenge for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a conference filled with consistently successful teams. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have paths. The Jets are stocked with future draft picks. The Titans and Giants have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have nothing. No core. No franchise QB. No identity. No strategic vision.

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

Tom Brady once excelled at football through ruthless focus. The Raiders could benefit from more than limited attention of it.