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Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering objective: becoming the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He accomplished that dream. Now, in retirement, Brady has ventured into various endeavors. He serves as a broadcaster for a major network. He's engaged in construction projects in the UK. He has endorsed cryptocurrency. He's spreading the NFL to the Middle East. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's post-career activities appear either diverse or unfocused, based on your viewpoint.

Side projects are understandable. But managing a professional franchise is not a part-time job. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady functions as the de facto decision-maker for the Las Vegas franchise, 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 get defeated; they were embarrassed by a underperforming team with a quarterback making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offense averaged 2.9 yards per play before meaningless action in the final period. Geno Smith was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a single-game high for any team this year. On the defensive side, Las Vegas allowed big plays to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional 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 latest Vegas mess was working in Dallas on the network coverage for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Series of Questionable Decisions

To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's personnel choices, becoming a partial stakeholder of the organization in 2024. But he was accountable for every major decision last offseason, 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 supposed to be a lengthy reconstruction. 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 standings. He was supposed to restore the team to relevance and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Conversely, Carroll is staring at the possibility of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Organizational Turmoil

This is not all Brady's fault, naturally. Mark Davis is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through head coaches and executives at a rate that would make even the Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a turnover rate that has eliminated any coherent long-term vision. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this version of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter Tom Pelissero said last summer. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll stated of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his chance to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and placed the Raiders on this directionless path. He hired a close associate, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to serve as general manager. He greenlit a team strategy to the coach's specifications, including trading a draft selection for Geno Smith and drafting a running back with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier O-line. He recruited Chip Kelly away from the college ranks, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the league. And he approved entrusting a unreliable offensive line – the foundation for that coordinator and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It has become a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and competitive. The current Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has installed an outdated defensive philosophy, the quarterback looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has submarined any aspirations for their rookie and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was supposed to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, counting down the snaps to the end of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was stark. 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 positive outlook around the impressive rookie class that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins 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 An Answer in the short-term.

Granted, it was against the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders showed that the NFL level was not too big for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was solid, accepting what the opposition gave him and showing glimpses of improvisation. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' first-year players symbolize promise. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises recognize their position in the league hierarchy: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a few adjustments away from competitiveness. In spite of the clear indications otherwise, they haven't pivoted midstream. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing young players to discover what they have for the future. But only two rookies have seen significant action. There has reportedly already been disagreement between the coaching staff and the management regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a weak point. Rookie receivers two young talents have totaled nine catches in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out experienced veterans on defense over rookies in need of reps.

Unclear Future

Where is the path forward? Will the coach return or Spytek or the quarterback? And who actually makes those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise operate when its primary influencer participates sporadically, signs off franchise-altering moves, and then vanishes 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. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have paths. The New York Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have nothing. No core. No franchise QB. No identity. No strategic vision.

The only thing more problematic than being ineffective in the NFL is not knowing you're bad. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are building, or who will make decisions in the summer.

Tom Brady once mastered football through intense dedication. The Raiders could use more than an hour of it.