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Tom Brady dedicated over two decades to a unwavering objective: becoming the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He achieved that dream. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has explored numerous pursuits. He works as a commentator for a major network. He's engaged in construction projects in the UK. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's spreading American football to Saudi Arabia. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's retirement ventures appear either diverse or unfocused, based on your perspective.

Side projects are one thing. But overseeing a professional franchise is hardly a part-time job. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady functions as the unofficial decision-maker for the Raiders, presently the least successful team in the league.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on Sunday after enduring a decisive loss to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were embarrassed by a underperforming team with a quarterback making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged 2.9 yards per play before garbage-time plays in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a season record for any team this year. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered significant gains to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional for most of the campaign. However you analyze it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. At least Brady didn't have to witness it. The primary decision-maker of this latest Vegas mess was sitting in Dallas on the network coverage for another game.

A Series of Questionable Decisions

To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season guiding the team's football decisions, after becoming a minority owner of the franchise in 2024. But he was accountable for every major decision last summer, and all of them has proven unsuccessful. Those decisions have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless team in the league.

This wasn't expected to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't hire 74-year-old Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a Super Bowl and a college national championship, to oversee a long slog back up the league table. He was expected to restore the team to relevance and then hand them off 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.

Franchise Dysfunction

This is not all Brady's fault, of course. Mark Davis is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through head coaches and executives at a rate that would make even the New York Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a turnover rate that has eliminated any clear strategic direction. Still, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter Tom Pelissero said last summer. "He's been deeply engaged," 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 crucial appointments and placed the Raiders on this rudderless course. He appointed John Spytek, his college buddy and co-worker in Tampa, to act as GM. He greenlit a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including trading a third-round pick for Geno Smith and selecting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a poor-performing offensive line. He lured an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the league. And he signed off on entrusting a flaky offensive line – the foundation for that coach and running back – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Results

It has become a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and resilient. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an outdated defensive philosophy, the quarterback looks past his prime and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty and the run game. If nothing else, Carroll was expected to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, waiting for the plays to the end of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was pronounced. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Their star defender, now just five sacks 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 – a dynamic runner 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 a viable option in the short-term.

Granted, it was facing the Raiders' defense, but Sanders showed that the NFL level was not too big for him. With a full week to prepare, he was solid, accepting what the defense gave him and showing glimpses of improvisation. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut game since 1995.

Absence of Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' rookie class symbolize future potential. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Good organizations understand their position in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or rebuilding. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a few adjustments away from respectability. In spite of the clear indications otherwise, they haven't pivoted during the season. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be throwing out young players to discover what they have for the future. But only two first-year players have seen significant action. There has reportedly 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 sieve. First-year pass catchers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have combined for nine receptions in eleven contests, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize experienced veterans on defense over rookies in need of reps.

Unclear Future

Where is the future direction? Will the coach return or the GM or Smith? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team function when its primary influencer logs in occasionally, approves major organizational decisions, and then disappears on other projects?

It's going to be a challenge for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a conference filled with consistently successful teams. Meanwhile, other rebuilders have paths. The Jets are loaded with future draft picks. The Titans and Giants have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No quarterback. No distinctive style. No plan.

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

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