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Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a singular mission: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He accomplished that dream. Now, in retirement, Brady has ventured into numerous pursuits. He works as a commentator for a major network. He's involved in construction projects in Birmingham. He has endorsed cryptocurrency. He's spreading the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's retirement activities appear either diverse or unfocused, based on your perspective.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But managing a professional franchise is hardly a casual commitment. Alongside his various responsibilities, Brady also serves as the unofficial football leader for the Raiders, currently the least successful team in the league.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a quarterback making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offense averaged less than three yards per play before garbage-time action in the final period. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a season record for any franchise this season. On the defensive side, Las Vegas allowed big plays to a Cleveland offense that has been ineffective for the majority of the campaign. Any way you slice it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to watch. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was working in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Collection of Questionable Decisions

To be fair to Brady, he has only been involved for a year guiding the team's personnel choices, becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise in 2024. But he was accountable for every major decision last offseason, and each one has backfired. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless franchise in the league.

This wasn't expected to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't appoint 74-year-old Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a championship and a college national championship, to oversee a long slog back up the league table. He was supposed to restore the team to competitiveness and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Conversely, Carroll is staring at the possibility of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Franchise Dysfunction

This is not all Brady's fault, naturally. Mark Davis is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has churned through coaches and executives 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 influence that are all over this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," league reporter a prominent journalist commented last offseason. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll stated of Brady at his first press 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 hired John Spytek, his college buddy and co-worker in Tampa, to act as general manager. He greenlit a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including trading a draft selection for Smith and drafting a running back with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the top-earning offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he approved handing a flaky blocking unit – the bedrock for that coach and running back – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It's been a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and competitive. The current Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive scheme, the quarterback looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any hopes for their rookie and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, waiting for the plays to the conclusion of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was pronounced. Things are always bleak 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 dominant defensive unit. And there is optimism around the impressive first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at running back and Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be The Answer at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the immediate future.

Admittedly, it was facing the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders demonstrated that the stage was not overwhelming for him. With a full week to prepare, he was effective, taking what the opposition gave him and showing flashes of improvisation. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start since 1995.

Lack of Vision

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class represent promise. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises recognize their position in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a few adjustments away from respectability. In spite of the clear indications 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 future. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has apparently already been tension between the coaching staff and the management regarding the lack of action for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a weak point. First-year pass catchers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have combined for nine catches in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on defense over young players in need of reps.

Unclear Future

What is the path forward? Will Carroll be back or the GM or the quarterback? And who actually makes those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team function when its most powerful decision-maker participates sporadically, approves major organizational decisions, and then disappears on side quests?

It will prove a challenge for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a conference filled with perennial playoff contenders. Meanwhile, other rebuilders have paths. The New York Jets are stocked with future draft picks. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No core. No franchise QB. No distinctive style. No strategic vision.

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 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.