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Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a singular objective: becoming the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He achieved that goal. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has explored various endeavors. He works as a commentator for a major network. He's engaged in construction projects in Birmingham. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's spreading American football to the Middle East. He maintains a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's retirement activities appear either diverse or aimless, depending on your perspective.

Side projects are one thing. But managing a professional franchise is hardly a part-time job. In addition to his other roles, Brady functions as the unofficial football leader for the Raiders, presently the least successful team in the league.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on Sunday after enduring a decisive loss 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' offensive unit averaged 2.9 yards per play before garbage-time plays in the final period. Geno Smith was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a season record for any franchise this season. On the defensive side, Las Vegas allowed significant gains to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional for most of the campaign. Any way you slice it, it was a thorough domination. At least Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was sitting in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Collection of Dubious Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only been involved for a year guiding the team's personnel choices, becoming a partial stakeholder 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 lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't hire veteran coach Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a Super Bowl and a college national championship, to manage a protracted process back up the league table. He was supposed to restore the team to relevance and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Conversely, Carroll is facing the prospect of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Organizational Turmoil

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 Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a instability that has erased any coherent long-term vision. Nevertheless, it's Brady's fingerprints that are all over this version of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," NFL Insider Tom Pelissero commented last summer. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll stated 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 directionless path. He appointed John Spytek, his former teammate and colleague in Tampa, to act as GM. He greenlit a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including dealing a draft selection for Geno Smith and drafting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a poor-performing O-line. He lured Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the top-earning offensive coordinator in the league. And he signed off on handing a flaky blocking unit – the foundation for that coordinator and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.

Disastrous Outcomes

It's been a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and competitive. The current Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive philosophy, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any hopes for their rookie and the run game. If nothing else, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, counting down the plays to the end of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was stark. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. Myles Garrett, now just five sacks away from the NFL single-season record, leads a formidable defense. And there is optimism around the impressive rookie class that includes two potential stars – a dynamic runner at running back and Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be The Answer at QB, but who is a viable option in the immediate future.

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

Absence of Vision

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class symbolize promise. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises recognize their situation in the league hierarchy: you're either a contender, 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 haven't pivoted during the season. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing rookies to find out what they have for the coming years. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been disagreement between the coaching staff and the management regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the offensive line being a sieve. Rookie receivers two young talents have combined for nine catches in 11 games, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on defense over rookies in need of experience.

Unclear Future

What is the path forward? Will Carroll be back or the GM or Smith? And who actually makes those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise function 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 improve – and they are in a division stacked with perennial playoff contenders. Meanwhile, other rebuilders have paths. The Jets are stocked with upcoming selections. The Tennessee and New York have talented young QBs. The Raiders have nothing. No core. No franchise QB. No distinctive style. No plan.

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

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