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Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a singular objective: becoming the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He achieved that goal. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into various pursuits. He works as a broadcaster for Fox. He's engaged in construction projects in the UK. He has endorsed digital assets. He's spreading the NFL to the Middle East. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's post-career activities appear either eclectic or aimless, based on your viewpoint.

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

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a decisive loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were embarrassed by a underperforming 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. 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 big plays to a Cleveland offense that has been ineffective for most of the season. 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 working in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for another game.

A Series of Questionable Choices

In fairness to Brady, he has only been involved for a year leading the team's personnel choices, becoming a partial stakeholder 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 resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless team in the NFL.

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 oversee a protracted process back up the standings. He was expected to restore the team to competitiveness and then transition them with a solid foundation in place. Instead, Carroll is facing the possibility of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Franchise Turmoil

This is not all Brady's fault, of course. The majority owner is still the majority owner. 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 GM in 15 years, a turnover rate that has erased any clear strategic direction. Still, it's Brady's fingerprints that are all over this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," NFL Insider a prominent journalist commented last summer. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll stated of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his chance to put his stamp on a franchise."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired John Spytek, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to act as GM. He approved a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including trading a draft selection for Geno Smith and selecting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier O-line. He lured Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the league. And he approved handing a flaky offensive line – the foundation for that coordinator and running back – to Carroll's son.

Disastrous Results

It has become a complete failure. The previous year's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and resilient. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an outdated defensive philosophy, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any aspirations for their rookie and the ground attack. If nothing else, Carroll was expected to bring enthusiasm. 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 embers of hope. Myles Garrett, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the NFL single-season record, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking 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 Answer at QB, but who is a viable option in the immediate future.

Admittedly, it was against the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders showed that the stage was not too big for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was effective, accepting what the defense gave him and displaying flashes of creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Vision

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class symbolize future potential. That's a reflection the Raiders don't want to look into. Good organizations understand their position in the ecosystem: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or rebuilding. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a couple of moves away from competitiveness. Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, they haven't pivoted midstream. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing rookies to discover what they have for the future. But only two first-year players have seen significant action. There has reportedly already been tension between the coaches 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 totaled nine receptions in 11 games, despite the ineffectiveness in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize experienced veterans on the defensive side over young players in need of reps.

Uncertain Future

Where is the future direction? Will the coach return or the GM or Smith? And who actually makes those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its primary influencer participates sporadically, approves major organizational decisions, and then disappears on other projects?

It will prove a struggle for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a conference stacked with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have clear trajectories. The Jets are loaded with future draft picks. The Titans and Giants have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. No core. No franchise QB. No identity. No plan.

The only thing more problematic than being bad in the NFL is not recognizing you're underperforming. The Raiders don't know 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 benefit from more than limited attention of it.