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Tom Brady committed over two decades to a unwavering objective: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He accomplished that goal. Today, in retirement, Brady has ventured into various pursuits. He works as a broadcaster for Fox. He's involved in construction projects in the UK. He has promoted digital assets. He's expanding American football to Saudi Arabia. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his family pet. Brady's post-career ventures appear either diverse or unfocused, based on your viewpoint.

Side projects are one thing. But managing a NFL team is hardly a casual commitment. Alongside his other roles, Brady also serves as the de facto decision-maker for the Las Vegas franchise, currently the least successful team in the league.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on Sunday after enduring a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were embarrassed by a struggling team with a quarterback making his professional debut. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged less than three yards per play before meaningless action in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was tackled 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a single-game high for any team this season. On the defensive side, Las Vegas allowed significant gains to a Cleveland offense that has been dysfunctional for the majority of the season. However you analyze it, it was a thorough domination. At least Brady didn't have to watch. The architect of this current situation was working in Dallas on the network coverage for another game.

A Collection of Questionable Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only been involved for a year guiding the team's football decisions, becoming a minority owner of the franchise in 2024. But he was responsible for every significant move last summer, and each one has backfired. Those decisions have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless team in the league.

This wasn't expected to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't hire 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 standings. He was expected to return the team to relevance and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Instead, Carroll is facing the possibility of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Franchise Turmoil

This isn't all Brady's fault, naturally. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through head coaches and executives at a speed that would make even the Jets feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a instability that has erased any coherent long-term vision. Still, it's Brady's fingerprints that are evident throughout this version of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," league reporter Tom Pelissero said last offseason. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll stated of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his opportunity to put his stamp on a team."

Brady made the key hires and placed the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired a close associate, his college buddy and co-worker in Tampa, to act as GM. He greenlit a team strategy to the coach's specifications, including trading a draft selection for Geno Smith and selecting a running back No 6 overall despite having a poor-performing O-line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he approved handing a flaky offensive line – the bedrock for that coordinator and running back – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It's been a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and competitive. The current Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has implemented an old-fashioned defensive scheme, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' blocking unit has submarined any aspirations for Ashton Jeanty and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. 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. Their star defender, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the league single-season record, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is positive outlook around the impressive rookie class 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.

Granted, it was against the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders demonstrated that the stage was not too big for him. With a full week to prepare, he was effective, taking what the opposition gave him and showing glimpses of improvisation. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback 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 mirror the Raiders don't want to look into. Good organizations understand their position in the ecosystem: you're either a contender, a competitive squad, or rebuilding. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a few adjustments away from competitiveness. In spite of the overwhelming evidence otherwise, they failed to adjust during the season. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be throwing out young players to find out what they have for the future. But only two first-year players have seen significant action. There has reportedly already been disagreement between the coaching staff and the management regarding the limited playing time for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the o-line being a sieve. First-year pass catchers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine catches in eleven contests, despite the ineffectiveness in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize experienced veterans on the defensive side over rookies in need of experience.

Unclear Future

Where is the path forward? Will Carroll be back or Spytek or the quarterback? And who actually makes those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team function when its most powerful decision-maker logs in occasionally, approves major organizational decisions, and then disappears on other projects?

It's going to be a challenge for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a conference stacked with consistently successful teams. Meanwhile, other rebuilders have clear trajectories. The New York Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have nothing. No foundation. No franchise QB. No distinctive style. No strategic vision.

The single factor more problematic than being ineffective 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.