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Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering mission: becoming the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He achieved that goal. Now, in his post-playing career, Brady has explored numerous pursuits. He serves as a commentator for Fox. He's engaged in development ventures in Birmingham. He has promoted digital assets. He's spreading the NFL to the Middle East. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's post-career activities appear either diverse or aimless, depending on your viewpoint.

Side projects are one thing. But overseeing a NFL team is hardly a part-time job. Alongside his various responsibilities, Brady functions as the de facto football leader for the Las Vegas franchise, currently the least successful team in the NFL.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on Sunday after enduring a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were humiliated by a underperforming team with a quarterback making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offense averaged 2.9 yards per play before meaningless action in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a single-game high for any team this season. On defense, Las Vegas allowed significant gains to a Cleveland offense that has been dysfunctional for most of the season. Any way you slice it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to watch. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was sitting in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Collection of Questionable Decisions

To be fair to Brady, he has only been involved for a year leading the team's personnel choices, becoming a minority owner of the organization in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last summer, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those moves have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless franchise in the NFL.

This wasn't supposed to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't appoint 74-year-old Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a championship and a college national championship, to manage a long slog back up the standings. He was supposed to return the team to relevance and then transition them with a stable base in place. Conversely, Carroll is staring at the prospect of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Organizational Turmoil

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, of course. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through coaches and executives at a speed that would make even the New York Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a turnover rate that has eliminated any clear strategic direction. Still, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter Tom Pelissero commented last summer. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll stated of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his opportunity to put his stamp on a team."

Brady made the key hires and placed the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed John Spytek, his former teammate and colleague in Tampa, to act as general manager. He approved a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including dealing a draft selection for Geno Smith and selecting a RB No 6 overall despite having a poor-performing offensive line. He recruited Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the league. And he approved entrusting a unreliable blocking unit – the foundation for that coordinator and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It has become a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were scrappy and competitive. This year's Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has installed an outdated defensive philosophy, the quarterback looks past his prime and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any aspirations for their rookie and the ground attack. If nothing else, Carroll was expected to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, counting down the plays 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. Myles Garrett, now just five sacks away from the league single-season record, 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 the rookie QB, who may not be the permanent solution at QB, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

Granted, it was facing the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders showed that the stage was not too big for him. With a full week to prepare, he was effective, taking what the opposition gave him and showing flashes of improvisation. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his first start since 1995.

Absence of Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' rookie class represent promise. That's a reflection the Raiders don't want to look into. Good organizations understand their position in the league hierarchy: you're either a championship candidate, a frisky playoff team, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 believing they were a couple of moves away from competitiveness. In spite of the clear indications to the contrary, they haven't pivoted during the season. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be throwing out rookies to discover what they have for the coming years. But only two first-year players have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been tension between the coaches and the front office regarding the lack of action for two young blockers, despite the offensive line being a sieve. Rookie receivers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine receptions in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out grizzled vets on defense over rookies in need of reps.

Uncertain Direction

Where is the path forward? Will the coach return or Spytek or Smith? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise function when its primary influencer logs in occasionally, signs off franchise-altering moves, and then disappears on other projects?

It will prove a challenge for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a division filled with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have paths. The New York Jets are loaded with future draft picks. The Tennessee and New York have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No franchise QB. No identity. No strategic vision.

The single factor more problematic than being ineffective in the NFL is not recognizing you're bad. The Raiders lack clarity on where they are, what they are building, or who will make decisions in the offseason.

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