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Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering mission: becoming the most accomplished QB in league history. He accomplished that goal. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has explored various pursuits. He works as a broadcaster for Fox. He's engaged in development ventures in Birmingham. He has endorsed digital assets. He's expanding American football to the Middle East. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's retirement ventures appear either eclectic or unfocused, based on your perspective.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But managing a professional franchise is not a casual commitment. Alongside his other roles, Brady functions as the de facto decision-maker for the Raiders, presently the least successful team in the NFL.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a decisive loss to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were embarrassed by a struggling team with a QB making his professional debut. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged 2.9 yards per play before meaningless action in the fourth quarter. Geno Smith was tackled 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a single-game high for any team this year. On defense, Las Vegas allowed significant gains to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional for most of the season. However you analyze it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. At least Brady didn't have to watch. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was working in Dallas on the network coverage for another game.

A Series of Questionable Choices

In fairness to Brady, he has only spent one season leading 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 backfired. Those moves have left the Raiders as the least entertaining 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, one of only three coaches to win both a championship and a NCAA title, to manage a long slog back up the league table. He was supposed to restore the team to competitiveness and then hand them off with a solid foundation in place. Instead, Carroll is facing the possibility of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Franchise Dysfunction

This is not entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. The majority owner is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has cycled through head coaches and front-office heads at a rate that would make even the New York 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 evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," league reporter a prominent journalist commented last summer. "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 made the key hires and placed the Raiders on this rudderless course. He appointed a close associate, his former teammate and colleague in Tampa, to serve as general manager. He greenlit a team strategy to Carroll's preference, including dealing a third-round pick for Smith and selecting a RB No 6 overall despite having a poor-performing offensive line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid OC in the NFL. And he signed off on entrusting a unreliable blocking unit – the foundation for that coordinator and running back – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Results

It's been a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and competitive. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive philosophy, the quarterback looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, waiting for 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 league all-time mark, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is positive outlook around the impressive rookie class that includes two potential stars – a dynamic runner at running back and a skilled defender at linebacker. There is also Shedeur Sanders, 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 NFL level was not too big for him. With a full week to get ready, he was solid, taking what the opposition gave him and showing flashes of creativity. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start since 1995.

Lack of Vision

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' first-year players represent future potential. That's a reflection the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises understand their situation in the league hierarchy: you're either a contender, a competitive squad, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a couple of moves away from respectability. Despite the overwhelming evidence otherwise, they haven't pivoted during the season. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing young players to discover what they have for the coming years. But only two rookies have seen significant action. There has reportedly already been disagreement between the coaches and the front office regarding the lack of action for two young blockers, despite the offensive line being a sieve. First-year pass catchers two young talents have totaled nine receptions in eleven contests, despite the ineffectiveness in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize experienced veterans on the defensive side over young players in need of experience.

Uncertain Direction

Where is the path forward? Will the coach return or Spytek or Smith? And who actually makes those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its primary influencer participates sporadically, signs off franchise-altering moves, and then disappears on other projects?

It's going to be a struggle for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a conference filled with perennial playoff contenders. Meanwhile, other rebuilders have clear trajectories. The Jets are loaded with future draft picks. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No quarterback. No distinctive style. No plan.

The single factor more problematic than being bad in the NFL is not knowing you're bad. The Raiders lack clarity on where they are, what they are building, or who will call the shots in the summer.

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