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Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a singular objective: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in league history. He accomplished that goal. Now, in retirement, Brady has explored numerous pursuits. He works as a commentator for Fox. He's engaged in development ventures in the UK. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's spreading American football to the Middle East. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's retirement activities appear either diverse or unfocused, based on your viewpoint.

Side projects are understandable. But managing a professional franchise is not a casual commitment. Alongside his other roles, Brady functions as the unofficial football leader for the Raiders, currently the least successful team in the league.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on this past weekend after enduring a decisive loss to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were embarrassed by a underperforming 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. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a single-game high for any franchise this year. On defense, Las Vegas allowed significant gains to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional for most of the campaign. Any way you slice it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. At least Brady didn't have to witness it. The primary decision-maker of this current situation was working in Dallas on the network coverage for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Collection of Dubious Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only spent one season guiding the team's football decisions, after becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise 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 most unwatchable and aimless franchise in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't hire 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 supposed to return the team to competitiveness and then transition them with a solid foundation in place. Conversely, Carroll is staring at the prospect of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Franchise Turmoil

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. The majority owner is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has cycled through coaches and executives 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 all over this version of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," NFL Insider a prominent journalist commented last offseason. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll said of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his chance to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady made the key hires and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He appointed John Spytek, 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 drafting a running back No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He recruited Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he signed off on handing a unreliable offensive line – the foundation for that coach and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Results

It's been a disaster. 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 scheme, the quarterback looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty and the ground attack. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the end of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was pronounced. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. Myles Garrett, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the league single-season record, leads a formidable defense. And there is positive outlook around the impressive first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – a dynamic runner at RB and Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. 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 facing the Raiders' defense, but Sanders showed that the stage was not too big for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was solid, taking what the defense gave him and displaying flashes 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 mirror the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises recognize their situation in the league hierarchy: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or rebuilding. Vegas entered 2025 believing they were a few adjustments away from respectability. Despite the clear indications otherwise, they haven't pivoted during the season. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be throwing out young players to find out what they have for the future. But only two rookies have seen significant action. There has reportedly already been tension between the coaching staff and the front office regarding the lack of action for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the offensive line being a weak point. Rookie receivers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have combined for nine catches in eleven contests, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to roll out experienced veterans on the defensive side over rookies in need of experience.

Unclear Direction

Where is the future direction? Will the coach return or Spytek or the quarterback? And who actually makes those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its primary influencer logs in occasionally, approves franchise-altering moves, and then vanishes 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 reconstructing teams have clear trajectories. The Jets are loaded with future draft picks. The Tennessee and New York have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No franchise QB. No identity. No plan.

The only thing 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 developing, or who will make decisions in the offseason.

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