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Tom Brady committed over two decades to a singular mission: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in league history. He achieved that goal. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has explored numerous pursuits. He serves as a commentator for Fox. He's involved in construction projects in the UK. He has endorsed digital assets. He's expanding the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's retirement activities appear either eclectic or aimless, based on your perspective.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But overseeing a professional franchise is not a part-time job. Alongside his various responsibilities, Brady also serves as the unofficial decision-maker for the Raiders, presently the least successful team in the NFL.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on this past weekend after suffering a decisive loss to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were humiliated by a underperforming team with a QB making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offense averaged less than three yards per play before garbage-time plays in the final period. Their quarterback was tackled 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a season record for any team this season. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered significant gains to a Cleveland offense that has been dysfunctional for the majority of the season. Any way you slice it, it was a thorough domination. 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 Dubious Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's football decisions, becoming a minority owner of the franchise in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last offseason, and all of them 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 multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't hire 74-year-old Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a championship and a NCAA title, to manage a protracted process back up the league table. He was supposed to restore the team to relevance and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Instead, Carroll is facing the prospect of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Organizational Turmoil

This is not all Brady's fault, naturally. The majority owner is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has cycled through head coaches and executives at a rate that would make even the New York Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a turnover rate that has eliminated any clear strategic direction. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," NFL Insider a prominent journalist commented last summer. "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 made the key hires and placed the Raiders on this directionless path. He hired a close associate, his former teammate 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 drafting a running back No 6 overall despite having a poor-performing O-line. He recruited Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the league. And he approved handing a flaky offensive line – the bedrock for that coach and running back – to Carroll's son.

Disastrous Results

It's been a disaster. The previous year's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and competitive. This year's Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive philosophy, the quarterback looks past his prime and the Raiders' blocking unit has submarined any hopes for their rookie and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the end of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was stark. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Their star defender, now just five sacks away from the NFL single-season record, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is positive outlook around the stellar-looking first-year players that includes two potential stars – Quinshon Judkins 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 immediate future.

Granted, it was against the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders showed that the stage was not overwhelming for him. With a complete preparation period to prepare, he was solid, accepting what the defense gave him and displaying flashes of creativity. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class represent promise. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises understand their position in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a frisky playoff team, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas began the season believing they were a couple of moves away from competitiveness. Despite the clear indications otherwise, they haven't pivoted during the season. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be throwing out rookies to find out what they have for the coming years. But only two first-year players have seen significant action. There has apparently already been tension between the coaching staff and the front office regarding the limited playing time for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the offensive line being a sieve. Rookie receivers two young talents have combined for nine catches in eleven contests, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize experienced veterans on defense over young players in need of reps.

Uncertain Direction

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

It's going to be a challenge for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a conference stacked with consistently successful teams. Meanwhile, other reconstructing teams have paths. The New York Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. 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 make decisions in the offseason.

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