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Tom Brady committed over two decades to a unwavering objective: becoming the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He accomplished that goal. Now, in retirement, Brady has explored numerous endeavors. He serves as a commentator 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 operates a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his dog. Brady's retirement activities appear either diverse or aimless, depending on your perspective.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But managing a professional franchise is hardly a casual commitment. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady functions as the unofficial football leader for the Raiders, currently the least successful team in the league.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on Sunday after enduring a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were humiliated by a underperforming team with a QB making his professional debut. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged 2.9 yards per play before meaningless plays in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was tackled 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a single-game high for any franchise this year. On defense, Las Vegas surrendered significant gains to a Cleveland offense that has been ineffective for the majority of the campaign. However you analyze it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. At least Brady didn't have to watch. The primary decision-maker of this current situation was sitting in Dallas on the network coverage for another game.

A Collection of Dubious Choices

To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's personnel choices, after becoming a minority owner of the organization in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last offseason, and all of them has backfired. Those decisions have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless team in the NFL.

This wasn't supposed to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't hire veteran coach Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a Super Bowl and a college national championship, to oversee a long slog back up the league table. He was expected to return the team to relevance and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Conversely, Carroll is facing the possibility of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Franchise Turmoil

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. Mark Davis is still the majority owner. Davis has cycled through coaches and front-office heads at a rate that would make even the Jets feel embarrassed. 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," league reporter a prominent journalist said 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 act as GM. He greenlit a roster plan to Carroll's preference, including dealing a draft selection for Smith and selecting a running back No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He recruited Chip Kelly away from the college ranks, making him the top-earning OC in the NFL. And he signed off on entrusting a unreliable blocking unit – the foundation for that coordinator and running back – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Results

It has become a disaster. The previous year's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and resilient. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive philosophy, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any aspirations for Ashton Jeanty and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was supposed to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, counting down the plays to the end of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was pronounced. 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 formidable defense. And there is positive outlook around the impressive rookie class that includes multiple promising talents – a dynamic runner at RB and a skilled defender at linebacker. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be The Answer at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was against the Raiders' defense, but Sanders showed that the NFL level was not too big for him. With a full week to prepare, he was effective, accepting what the opposition gave him and displaying glimpses of improvisation. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start since 1995.

Lack of Vision

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class symbolize promise. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Good organizations understand their position in the ecosystem: you're either a contender, a competitive squad, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a couple of moves away from respectability. Despite the clear indications to the contrary, they haven't pivoted during the season. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing young players to find out what they have for the future. But only two first-year players have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been disagreement between the coaching staff and the front office regarding the limited playing time for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the offensive line being a weak point. Rookie receivers two young talents have combined for nine catches in 11 games, despite the ineffectiveness in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize experienced veterans on defense over young players in need of reps.

Uncertain Future

What is the path forward? Will Carroll be back or Spytek or Smith? And who actually makes those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its primary influencer logs in occasionally, approves franchise-altering moves, and then vanishes on side quests?

It will prove a struggle for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a division filled with consistently successful teams. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have paths. The New York Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Tennessee and New York have talented young QBs. The Raiders have nothing. No foundation. No quarterback. No identity. No plan.

The single factor more problematic than being bad in the NFL is not knowing you're bad. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are building, or who will call the shots in the offseason.

Tom Brady once excelled at football through intense dedication. The Raiders could benefit from more than an hour of it.