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Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering mission: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in league history. He achieved that goal. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into numerous pursuits. He serves as a commentator for a major network. He's engaged in development ventures in the UK. He has promoted digital assets. He's expanding the NFL to the Middle East. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's post-career ventures appear either diverse or aimless, based on your viewpoint.

Secondary ventures are one thing. But managing a professional franchise is hardly a casual commitment. Alongside his other roles, Brady also serves as the unofficial decision-maker for the Raiders, currently the most hapless team in the NFL.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on this past weekend after enduring a decisive loss to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were humiliated by a underperforming team with a quarterback making his professional debut. The Raiders' offense averaged 2.9 yards per play before meaningless action in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was tackled 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a single-game high for any franchise this season. On defense, Las Vegas allowed big plays to a Cleveland offense that has been ineffective for most of the campaign. However you analyze it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to watch. The architect of this current situation was working in Dallas on the network coverage for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Collection of Dubious Choices

In fairness to Brady, he has only spent one season guiding the team's football decisions, after becoming a partial stakeholder of the organization in 2024. But he was responsible for every major decision last summer, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those moves have left the Raiders as the least entertaining and aimless team in the NFL.

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 championship 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 transition them with a solid foundation in place. Conversely, Carroll is facing the prospect of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Franchise Dysfunction

This is not all Brady's fault, of course. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has cycled through coaches and executives at a speed that would make even the Jets feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a turnover rate that has erased any coherent long-term vision. Still, it's Brady's fingerprints that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," league reporter a prominent journalist commented last offseason. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll stated of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his chance to put his stamp on a team."

Brady made the crucial appointments and set the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed John Spytek, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to serve as general manager. He approved a team strategy to the coach's specifications, including trading a draft selection for Geno Smith and selecting a running back No 6 overall despite having a poor-performing O-line. He recruited Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the top-earning offensive coordinator in the league. And he approved handing a flaky offensive line – the bedrock for that coach and running back – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Results

It's been a complete failure. Last season'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 outdated defensive scheme, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' blocking unit has undermined any aspirations for Ashton Jeanty and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, counting down the snaps 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. Their star defender, now just five quarterback takedowns 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 – Quinshon Judkins at running back and a skilled defender at LB. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be The Answer at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the immediate future.

Granted, it was against the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders showed that the NFL level was not overwhelming for him. With a full week to get ready, he was effective, taking what the opposition gave him and displaying flashes of improvisation. 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 mirror the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises recognize their situation in the ecosystem: you're either a contender, a competitive squad, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas began the season thinking they were a few adjustments away from respectability. In spite of the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, they haven't pivoted midstream. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing young players to find out what they have for the future. But only two first-year players 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 rookie offensive linemen, despite the o-line being a weak point. First-year pass catchers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have combined for nine receptions in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out grizzled vets on defense over young players in need of reps.

Unclear Future

What is the future direction? Will the coach return or the GM or the quarterback? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team function when its most powerful decision-maker participates sporadically, signs off franchise-altering moves, and then disappears 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 rebuilders have clear trajectories. The New York Jets are stocked with future draft picks. The Tennessee and New York have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. No core. No quarterback. No distinctive style. No strategic vision.

The single factor more dangerous than being bad in the NFL is not recognizing you're bad. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are building, or who will call the shots in the offseason.

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