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Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering mission: becoming the greatest quarterback in league history. He accomplished that goal. Today, in retirement, Brady has ventured into various pursuits. He serves as a broadcaster for Fox. He's engaged in development ventures in the UK. He has endorsed digital assets. He's spreading American football to the Middle East. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his family pet. Brady's post-career ventures appear either diverse or unfocused, depending on your perspective.

Side projects are one thing. But managing a professional franchise is hardly a part-time job. In addition to his other roles, Brady functions as the unofficial football leader for the Las Vegas franchise, currently the most hapless team in the NFL.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on this past weekend after suffering a decisive loss to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were embarrassed by a struggling team with a quarterback making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offense averaged 2.9 yards per play before meaningless plays in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a season record for any franchise this year. On defense, Las Vegas allowed big plays to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been ineffective for most of the campaign. However you analyze it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. Fortunately Brady didn't have to witness it. The primary decision-maker of this current situation was working in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for another game.

A Series of Questionable Choices

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 significant move last offseason, and each one has backfired. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the least entertaining and aimless franchise in the league.

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 oversee a long slog back up the league table. He was supposed to return the team to relevance and then transition them with a stable base in place. Instead, Carroll is staring at the possibility of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Organizational Dysfunction

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, of course. Mark Davis is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has cycled through head coaches and front-office heads at a rate that would make even the New York Jets feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a turnover rate that has eliminated any coherent long-term vision. Still, it's Brady's influence that are all over this version of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter Tom Pelissero commented last summer. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll said of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his opportunity to leave his mark on a team."

Brady made the key hires and placed the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired John Spytek, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to serve as general manager. He approved a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including dealing a draft selection for Smith and selecting a RB No 6 overall despite having a poor-performing O-line. He lured an offensive innovator away from the NCAA, making him the top-earning offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he signed off on handing a flaky blocking unit – the foundation for that coach and running back – to Carroll's son.

Disastrous Results

It's been a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and competitive. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive philosophy, Smith looks past his prime 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 energy. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, counting down the snaps to the conclusion 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 sacks away from the league all-time mark, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking 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 Answer at QB, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

Granted, it was against the Raiders' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not overwhelming for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was solid, accepting what the defense gave him and showing glimpses of creativity. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start since 1995.

Lack of Vision

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' rookie class represent future potential. That's a reflection the Raiders don't want to look into. Successful franchises recognize their situation in the league hierarchy: you're either a championship candidate, a frisky playoff team, or rebuilding. Vegas entered 2025 believing they were a couple of moves away from respectability. Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, they failed to adjust during the season. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing rookies to find out what they have for the coming years. But only two first-year players have seen significant action. There has reportedly already been tension between the coaches and the management regarding the limited playing time for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the offensive line being a sieve. First-year pass catchers two young talents have totaled nine receptions in eleven contests, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize experienced veterans on defense over young players in need of experience.

Uncertain Future

Where is the path forward? Will Carroll be back or the GM or the quarterback? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team function when its primary influencer logs in occasionally, approves major organizational decisions, and then disappears on side quests?

It will prove a challenge for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a division filled with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other rebuilders have clear trajectories. The New York Jets are stocked with future draft picks. The Tennessee and New York have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No quarterback. No distinctive style. No plan.

The only thing more dangerous than being bad in the NFL is not knowing you're underperforming. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are developing, or who will make decisions in the offseason.

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