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Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a singular mission: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in league history. He achieved that dream. Now, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into various pursuits. He works as a commentator for a major network. He's involved in construction projects in the UK. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's expanding American football to the Middle East. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his family pet. Brady's post-career activities appear either diverse or aimless, depending on your perspective.

Secondary ventures are one thing. But managing a professional franchise is hardly a part-time job. Alongside his various responsibilities, Brady functions as the de facto football leader for the Las Vegas franchise, currently the most hapless team in the league.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on this past weekend after suffering a decisive loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were embarrassed by a struggling team with a QB making his professional debut. The Raiders' offense averaged 2.9 yards per play before meaningless plays in the final period. Geno Smith was tackled 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a single-game high for any franchise this year. On defense, Las Vegas surrendered big plays to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been ineffective for the majority of the season. However you analyze it, it was a thorough domination. At least Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was working in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Collection of Questionable Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only spent one season guiding the team's personnel choices, after becoming a minority owner of the organization in 2024. But he was responsible for every major decision last summer, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the least entertaining and directionless franchise in the league.

This wasn't expected to be a multi-year rebuild. 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 manage a protracted process 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 staring at the possibility of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Organizational Turmoil

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through 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 erased any clear strategic direction. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this version of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter a prominent journalist commented last offseason. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll said 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 crucial appointments and placed the Raiders on this rudderless course. He appointed a close associate, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to act as GM. He approved a team strategy to Carroll's preference, including trading a third-round pick for Geno Smith and drafting a running back with the sixth pick despite having a poor-performing O-line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the top-earning OC in the NFL. And he signed off on handing a unreliable blocking unit – the bedrock for that coach and running back – to the coach's family member.

Disastrous Results

It's been a complete failure. The previous year's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and resilient. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive scheme, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has submarined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty and the ground attack. If nothing else, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, counting down the plays to the end of the game.

The contrast 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 league single-season record, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is optimism around the impressive first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – a dynamic runner at RB and Carson Schwesinger at LB. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be the permanent solution at QB, but who is An Answer in the immediate future.

Admittedly, it was against the Raiders' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the stage was not overwhelming for him. With a full week to get ready, he was solid, accepting what the opposition gave him and showing flashes of creativity. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Vision

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class represent promise. That's a mirror the Raiders don't want to look into. Successful franchises recognize their position in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 believing they were a couple of moves away from competitiveness. In spite of the clear indications to the contrary, they failed to adjust midstream. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing rookies to find out 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 front office regarding the lack of action for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the o-line being a weak point. First-year pass catchers two young talents have totaled nine receptions in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to roll out experienced veterans on defense over young players in need of reps.

Uncertain Future

Where is the future direction? Will Carroll be back or the GM or the quarterback? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its primary influencer 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 consistently successful teams. Meanwhile, other rebuilders have clear trajectories. The Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No core. No franchise QB. No identity. No plan.

The only thing more problematic than being ineffective in the NFL is not recognizing you're bad. The Raiders lack clarity on where they are, what they are developing, or who will make decisions in the summer.

Tom Brady once mastered football through ruthless focus. The Raiders could benefit from more than an hour of it.