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Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a singular mission: becoming the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He accomplished that goal. Now, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into various endeavors. He works as a broadcaster for Fox. He's engaged in development ventures in the UK. He has promoted digital assets. He's expanding the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his dog. Brady's retirement activities appear either diverse or aimless, depending on your perspective.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But overseeing a professional franchise is hardly a part-time job. In addition to 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 fell to 2–9 on this past weekend after suffering a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were humiliated by a underperforming team with a QB making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged less than three yards per play before garbage-time plays in the final period. Geno Smith was sacked 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a season record for any team this season. On defense, Las Vegas allowed big plays to a Cleveland offense that has been dysfunctional for the majority of the campaign. Any way you slice it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was sitting in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Collection of Questionable Choices

To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's football decisions, becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise in 2024. But he was responsible for every significant move last summer, and each one has backfired. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless franchise in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't appoint veteran coach Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a Super Bowl and a college national championship, to manage a protracted process back up the league table. He was expected to return the team to relevance and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Conversely, Carroll is facing the prospect of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Franchise Dysfunction

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. Mark Davis 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 head coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a turnover rate that has eliminated any coherent long-term vision. Nevertheless, it's Brady's fingerprints that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter a prominent journalist said last summer. "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 franchise."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He appointed a close associate, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to act as GM. He greenlit a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including dealing a third-round pick for Smith and drafting a RB No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He lured an offensive innovator away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the league. And he signed off on handing a flaky blocking unit – the foundation for that coach and running back – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Results

It has become 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 implemented an outdated defensive scheme, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' offensive line has submarined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty and the ground attack. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the end of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was stark. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Myles Garrett, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the NFL all-time mark, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is optimism around the impressive rookie class that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at RB and a skilled defender at LB. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be The Answer at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was facing the Raiders' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the stage was not too big for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was effective, accepting what the opposition gave him and showing glimpses of improvisation. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start since 1995.

Lack of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' first-year players represent promise. That's a reflection the Raiders don't want to look into. Successful franchises understand their situation in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a frisky playoff team, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a couple of moves away from respectability. Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, they haven't pivoted midstream. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing rookies to find out what they have for the future. But only two first-year players have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been tension between the coaching staff and the management regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the offensive line being a weak point. Rookie receivers two young talents have combined for nine receptions in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out 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 Spytek or Smith? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team function 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 division filled with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have clear trajectories. The 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 quarterback. No distinctive style. No plan.

The single factor 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 building, or who will make decisions in the offseason.

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