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Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a singular mission: becoming the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He achieved that dream. Today, in retirement, Brady has explored various pursuits. He works as a commentator for a major network. He's engaged in construction projects in the UK. He has endorsed digital assets. He's spreading American football to Saudi Arabia. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's retirement ventures appear either eclectic or aimless, depending on your perspective.

Side projects are understandable. But overseeing a professional franchise is hardly a casual commitment. Alongside his various responsibilities, Brady also serves as the unofficial decision-maker for the Las Vegas franchise, currently the least successful team in the NFL.

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 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 garbage-time action in the final period. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 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 the majority of the season. Any way you slice it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. At least Brady didn't have to watch. The primary decision-maker of this current situation was working in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for another game.

A Collection of Dubious Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only been involved for a year leading the team's football decisions, becoming a partial stakeholder of the organization in 2024. But he was accountable for every major decision last offseason, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those moves have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless franchise in the league.

This wasn't expected to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't appoint 74-year-old Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a Super Bowl and a college national championship, to manage a long slog back up the standings. He was expected to restore the team to competitiveness and then hand them off with a solid foundation in place. Conversely, Carroll is facing the prospect of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Franchise Dysfunction

This isn't all Brady's fault, of course. Mark Davis is still the controlling stakeholder. 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 coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a turnover rate that has eliminated any clear strategic direction. Nevertheless, it's Brady's fingerprints that are all over this version of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," NFL Insider Tom Pelissero said last summer. "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 hired John Spytek, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to act as general manager. He greenlit a roster plan to Carroll's preference, including dealing a draft selection for Smith and drafting a RB No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He lured an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the top-earning OC in the league. And he signed off on handing a flaky blocking unit – the bedrock for that coordinator and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.

Disastrous Outcomes

It's been a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were scrappy and competitive. The current Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has installed an outdated defensive scheme, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' blocking unit has undermined any aspirations for their rookie and the run game. If nothing else, Carroll was expected to bring energy. But the Raiders were uninspired 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 embers of hope. Their star defender, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the NFL all-time mark, leads a formidable defense. And there is positive outlook around the stellar-looking first-year players that includes two potential stars – Quinshon Judkins at running back and Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be The Answer at quarterback, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

Granted, it was against the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not too big for him. With a full week to get ready, he was solid, taking what the opposition gave him and displaying flashes of creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Vision

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class represent promise. That's a reflection the Raiders don't want to look into. Successful franchises recognize their situation in the ecosystem: you're either a contender, a competitive squad, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas began the season thinking they were a few adjustments away from respectability. In spite of the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, they failed to adjust midstream. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing young players to find out what they have for the coming years. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been tension between the coaches and the front office regarding the limited playing time for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the o-line being a sieve. First-year pass catchers two young talents have totaled nine receptions in eleven contests, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to roll out grizzled vets on the defensive side over young players in need of reps.

Unclear Direction

What is the future direction? Will the coach return or the GM or Smith? And who actually makes those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise function when its primary influencer participates sporadically, signs off franchise-altering moves, and then disappears on other projects?

It's going to be a challenge for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a division filled with perennial playoff contenders. Meanwhile, other reconstructing teams 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 nothing. No core. No franchise QB. No identity. No strategic vision.

The single factor more problematic than being ineffective in the NFL is not recognizing you're underperforming. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are developing, or who will call the shots in the summer.

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