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Tom Brady dedicated over two decades to a unwavering mission: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in league history. He accomplished that goal. Today, in retirement, Brady has ventured into numerous pursuits. He works as a broadcaster for Fox. He's involved in development ventures in the UK. He has promoted digital assets. He's spreading the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's retirement activities appear either diverse or aimless, depending on your viewpoint.

Side projects are understandable. But managing a NFL team is hardly a casual commitment. In addition to his other roles, Brady functions as the de facto football leader for the Las Vegas franchise, currently the least successful team in the league.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on this past weekend after suffering a decisive loss to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were embarrassed by a struggling team with a QB making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged 2.9 yards per play before meaningless action in the fourth quarter. Geno Smith was tackled 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a season record for any franchise this year. On defense, Las Vegas surrendered big plays to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been ineffective for most of the season. Any way you slice it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. At least Brady didn't have to watch. The architect 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 organization in 2024. But he was accountable for every major decision last offseason, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those decisions have resulted in the Raiders as the least entertaining and directionless franchise in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't appoint 74-year-old Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a championship and a NCAA title, to manage a long slog back up the standings. He was expected to restore the team to competitiveness and then hand them off with a solid foundation in place. Conversely, Carroll is facing the possibility of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Organizational Turmoil

This is not entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. The majority owner is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has cycled through coaches and executives at a rate that would make even the Jets feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a turnover rate 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 Tom Brady show," NFL Insider a prominent journalist commented last offseason. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll said of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his opportunity to leave his mark on a team."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He appointed John Spytek, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to serve as general manager. He greenlit a team strategy to Carroll's preference, including dealing a draft selection for Smith and selecting a running back with the sixth pick despite having a poor-performing offensive line. He lured an offensive innovator away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the league. And he signed off on entrusting a flaky offensive line – the bedrock for that coordinator and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Results

It has become a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and competitive. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an old-fashioned defensive scheme, the quarterback looks washed and the Raiders' blocking unit has undermined any aspirations for Ashton Jeanty and the ground attack. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the conclusion of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was stark. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. Myles Garrett, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the league single-season record, leads a formidable defense. And there is positive outlook 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 Shedeur Sanders, who may not be The Answer at QB, but who is An Answer in the immediate future.

Granted, it was facing the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not too big for him. With a full week to get ready, he was solid, accepting what the defense gave him and showing glimpses of creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his first start since 1995.

Lack of Vision

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' first-year players symbolize promise. That's a reflection the Raiders don't want to look into. Successful franchises recognize their situation in the league hierarchy: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, 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. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing rookies to find out what they have for the coming years. But only two rookies have seen significant action. There has apparently already been disagreement between the coaching staff and the management regarding the limited playing time for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the offensive line being a weak point. Rookie receivers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine receptions in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to roll out grizzled vets on the defensive side over young players in need of reps.

Unclear Future

What is the future direction? Will Carroll be back or the GM or Smith? And who actually makes those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise function when its primary influencer logs in occasionally, signs off major organizational decisions, and then vanishes on side quests?

It's going to be a struggle for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a division stacked with perennial playoff contenders. Meanwhile, other rebuilders have clear trajectories. The Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Tennessee and New York have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have nothing. No core. No quarterback. No distinctive style. No strategic vision.

The only thing more problematic than being ineffective in the NFL is not recognizing you're bad. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are developing, or who will call the shots in the summer.

Tom Brady once excelled at football through intense dedication. The Raiders could benefit from more than an hour of it.