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Tom Brady committed over two decades to a unwavering objective: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He accomplished that dream. Now, in retirement, Brady has explored numerous pursuits. He works as a broadcaster for Fox. He's engaged in construction projects in the UK. He has endorsed digital assets. He's spreading the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He replicated his dog. Brady's post-career ventures appear either eclectic or unfocused, based on your viewpoint.

Secondary ventures are one thing. But managing a professional franchise is hardly a casual commitment. Alongside his other roles, Brady functions as the de facto decision-maker for the Las Vegas franchise, currently the least successful team in the NFL.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on this past weekend after suffering a 24-10 defeat to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a QB making his professional debut. The Raiders' offense averaged 2.9 yards per play before meaningless plays in the final period. Geno Smith was tackled 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a season record for any team this season. On the defensive side, Las Vegas allowed significant gains to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional for the majority of the campaign. However you analyze it, it was a thorough domination. At least Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this current situation was working in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Series of Dubious Choices

To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's personnel choices, becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last summer, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless team in the NFL.

This wasn't expected to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't hire 74-year-old Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a championship and a NCAA title, to oversee a protracted process back up the league table. He was supposed to return the team to competitiveness and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Instead, Carroll is facing the possibility of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Franchise Dysfunction

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has cycled through head coaches and front-office heads at a rate that would make even the New York Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a instability 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 Tom Brady show," NFL Insider Tom Pelissero said last offseason. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll stated of Brady at his introductory news 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 directionless path. He hired a close associate, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to serve as GM. He approved a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including trading a third-round pick for Smith and drafting a running back with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier O-line. He recruited Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he approved handing a flaky offensive line – the bedrock for that coach and running back – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It's been a complete failure. The previous year's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and resilient. The current Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive philosophy, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' blocking unit has undermined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty and the ground attack. If nothing else, Carroll was expected to bring energy. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the end 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 sacks away from the NFL all-time mark, leads a formidable defense. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking first-year players that includes two potential stars – a dynamic runner at RB and Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be The Answer at QB, but who is a viable option in the immediate future.

Granted, it was against the Raiders' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not too big for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was effective, accepting what the opposition gave him and showing glimpses of creativity. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start since 1995.

Lack of Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' first-year players represent future potential. 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 thinking they were a couple of moves away from competitiveness. 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 discover what they have for the future. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been tension 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 Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine receptions in eleven contests, despite the ineffectiveness in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize experienced veterans on the defensive side over young players in need of experience.

Uncertain Direction

Where is the future direction? Will the coach return or Spytek or the quarterback? And who actually makes those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its most powerful decision-maker participates sporadically, signs off major organizational decisions, and then vanishes on other projects?

It will prove a challenge for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a division filled with perennial playoff contenders. Meanwhile, other reconstructing teams have paths. The New York 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 distinctive style. No strategic vision.

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

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