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Tom Brady dedicated over two decades to a unwavering mission: becoming the most accomplished QB in league history. He achieved that goal. Now, in retirement, Brady has explored numerous endeavors. He serves as a broadcaster for Fox. He's involved in development ventures in the UK. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's expanding the NFL to the Middle East. He maintains a popular YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's post-career ventures appear either diverse or unfocused, depending on your perspective.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But overseeing a NFL team is not a casual commitment. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady also serves as the unofficial decision-maker for the Las Vegas franchise, currently the most hapless team in the NFL.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on this past weekend after enduring a 24-10 defeat to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were embarrassed by a struggling team with a quarterback making his professional debut. The Raiders' offense averaged 2.9 yards per play before garbage-time action in the final period. Geno Smith was tackled 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a single-game high for any franchise this season. On defense, Las Vegas allowed significant gains to a Cleveland offense that has been ineffective for most of the season. Any way you slice 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 Fox broadcast for another game.

A Series of Questionable Decisions

To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's personnel choices, becoming a minority owner of the organization in 2024. But he was accountable for every major decision last summer, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the least entertaining and directionless franchise in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't hire 74-year-old Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a championship and a college national championship, to manage a long slog back up the league table. He was supposed to restore the team to competitiveness and then transition them with a solid foundation in place. Instead, Carroll is staring at the prospect of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Organizational Turmoil

This is not all Brady's fault, naturally. The majority owner is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has churned through 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 general manager in 15 years, a instability that has eliminated any coherent long-term vision. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence 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 said 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 crucial appointments and placed the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed a close associate, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to serve as GM. He approved a team strategy to Carroll's preference, including trading a third-round pick for Geno Smith and drafting a running back with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He lured an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he approved handing a unreliable offensive line – the foundation for that coordinator and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.

Disastrous Outcomes

It has become a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and competitive. This year's Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has installed an outdated defensive scheme, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' blocking unit has undermined any aspirations for Ashton Jeanty and the ground attack. If nothing else, Carroll was supposed to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were lifeless 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 glimmers of optimism. Myles Garrett, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the league all-time mark, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is optimism around the impressive first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at running back and a skilled defender at linebacker. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be The Answer at QB, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

Granted, it was against the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not overwhelming for him. With a full week to prepare, he was solid, accepting 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 Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' first-year players symbolize promise. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises recognize their position in the league hierarchy: you're either a championship candidate, a frisky playoff team, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 believing they were a couple of moves away from respectability. Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, they haven't pivoted midstream. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing young players to find out what they have for the future. But only two rookies 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 offensive line being a sieve. Rookie receivers two young talents have totaled nine receptions in eleven contests, despite the lack of spark in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out experienced veterans on defense over young players in need of experience.

Unclear Direction

What is the future direction? Will the coach return or Spytek or the quarterback? And who truly decides those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate 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 stacked with consistently successful teams. At the same time, 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 foundation. No quarterback. No distinctive style. No plan.

The single factor more dangerous than being ineffective 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 use more than limited attention of it.