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Tom Brady committed over two decades to a unwavering mission: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in league history. He accomplished that goal. Now, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into various pursuits. He works as a broadcaster for a major network. He's engaged in development ventures in Birmingham. He has endorsed digital assets. He's expanding the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He maintains a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's post-career activities appear either eclectic or aimless, depending on your perspective.

Secondary ventures are one thing. But managing a professional franchise is hardly a part-time job. Alongside his other roles, Brady functions as the de facto decision-maker for the Raiders, presently the most hapless team in the league.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on this past weekend after enduring a decisive loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were embarrassed by a underperforming team with a quarterback making his professional debut. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged less than three yards per play before meaningless action in the final period. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a single-game high for any team this season. On defense, Las Vegas surrendered big plays to a Cleveland offense that has been ineffective for most of the season. Any way you slice it, it was a thorough domination. At least Brady didn't have to watch. The primary decision-maker of this current situation was sitting in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for another game.

A Collection of Questionable Choices

In fairness to Brady, he has only been involved for a year leading the team's personnel choices, after becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last offseason, and each one has backfired. Those moves have left the Raiders as the least entertaining and aimless team in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't appoint 74-year-old Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a Super Bowl and a NCAA title, to manage a protracted process back up the league table. He was supposed to restore the team to competitiveness and then transition them with a stable base in place. Conversely, Carroll is facing the possibility of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Franchise Dysfunction

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. Mark Davis is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has churned 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 coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a turnover rate that has erased any coherent long-term vision. Still, it's Brady's influence that are all over this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," NFL Insider a prominent journalist said last offseason. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll said of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his chance to put his stamp on a franchise."

Brady was responsible for the crucial appointments and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired John Spytek, his former teammate and colleague in Tampa, to serve as general manager. He approved a roster plan to Carroll's preference, including dealing a draft selection for Geno Smith and selecting a running back with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he signed off on handing a flaky offensive line – the bedrock for that coordinator and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Results

It has become a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and resilient. The current Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has implemented an old-fashioned defensive philosophy, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' blocking unit has submarined any aspirations for their rookie and the ground attack. At the very least, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the end of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was stark. The situation often seems dire 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 positive outlook around the impressive first-year players that includes two potential stars – Quinshon Judkins at RB and a skilled defender 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' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the stage was not too big for him. With a complete preparation period to prepare, he was effective, taking what the defense gave him and displaying flashes of creativity. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start since 1995.

Absence of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class represent future potential. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises recognize their situation in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a frisky playoff team, or rebuilding. Vegas began the season believing they were a few adjustments away from competitiveness. Despite the clear indications to the contrary, they failed to adjust during the season. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing young players to find out what they have for the future. But only two rookies 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 offensive 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 aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on the defensive side over rookies in need of experience.

Uncertain Future

What is the path forward? Will Carroll be back or the GM or Smith? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise operate 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 improve – and they are in a conference stacked with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have clear trajectories. The New York Jets are stocked with future draft picks. The Tennessee and New York have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have nothing. No core. No quarterback. No distinctive style. No plan.

The only thing more problematic than being ineffective in the NFL is not knowing 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 intense dedication. The Raiders could use more than an hour of it.