🔗 Share this article

Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering mission: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He achieved that dream. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into various endeavors. He works as a commentator for a major network. He's engaged in construction projects in the UK. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's expanding American football to the Middle East. He maintains a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his family pet. Brady's post-career ventures appear either eclectic or aimless, depending on your perspective.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But overseeing a NFL team is hardly a casual commitment. Alongside his various responsibilities, Brady functions as the de facto football leader for the Raiders, presently the most hapless team in the league.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on Sunday after enduring a decisive loss to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were embarrassed by a underperforming team with a QB making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged less than three yards per play before meaningless plays in the final period. Geno Smith was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a season record for any team this year. On the defensive side, Las Vegas allowed big plays to a Cleveland offense that has been ineffective for the majority of the campaign. Any way you slice it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. At least Brady didn't have to watch. The primary decision-maker of this latest Vegas mess was sitting in Dallas on the network coverage for another game.

A Series of Questionable Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only spent one season guiding the team's personnel choices, becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last summer, and all of them has backfired. Those decisions have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless franchise in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't hire 74-year-old 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 standings. He was supposed to restore the team to competitiveness and then transition them 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 reboot.

Franchise Dysfunction

This is not all Brady's fault, naturally. Mark Davis is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has cycled through coaches and front-office heads at a speed that would make even the New York Jets feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a turnover rate that has erased any clear strategic direction. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this version of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," NFL Insider Tom Pelissero commented 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 was responsible for the crucial appointments and set the Raiders on this directionless path. He hired a close associate, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to serve as GM. He greenlit a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including dealing a draft selection for 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 entrusting a flaky offensive line – the bedrock for that coordinator and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It's been a disaster. The previous year's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and resilient. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive scheme, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' blocking unit has undermined any hopes for their rookie and the ground attack. If nothing else, Carroll was supposed to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, counting down the plays to the conclusion of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was pronounced. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Myles Garrett, now just five sacks away from the league all-time mark, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is positive outlook around the stellar-looking first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – a dynamic runner at RB and a skilled defender at LB. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be the permanent solution at quarterback, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was facing the Raiders' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the stage was not overwhelming for him. With a full week to prepare, he was solid, taking what the defense gave him and showing glimpses of creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut game since 1995.

Absence of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' first-year players symbolize future potential. That's a mirror the Raiders don't want to look into. Successful franchises understand their situation in the league hierarchy: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a couple of moves away from competitiveness. In spite of the clear indications otherwise, they haven't pivoted during the season. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing young players to discover 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 front office regarding the limited playing time for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the offensive line being a sieve. First-year pass catchers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine catches in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on the defensive side over young players in need of experience.

Uncertain Future

Where is the path forward? Will the coach return or the GM or Smith? And who truly decides those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise operate when its most powerful decision-maker participates sporadically, signs off franchise-altering moves, and then disappears on side quests?

It will prove a struggle for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a conference filled with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other rebuilders have paths. The Jets are stocked with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No franchise QB. No distinctive style. No strategic vision.

The only thing more dangerous than being ineffective in the NFL is not knowing you're underperforming. The Raiders lack clarity on 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 limited attention of it.