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Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering objective: becoming the most accomplished QB in league history. He achieved that goal. Now, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into numerous pursuits. He serves as a broadcaster for Fox. He's involved in development ventures in the UK. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's expanding the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He replicated his dog. Brady's post-career ventures appear either diverse or unfocused, depending on your perspective.

Side projects are one thing. But managing a NFL team is hardly a casual commitment. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady functions as the unofficial decision-maker for the Las Vegas franchise, presently the least successful team in the league.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on this past weekend after enduring a decisive loss to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were embarrassed by a underperforming team with a quarterback making his professional debut. The Raiders' offense averaged 2.9 yards per play before garbage-time plays in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 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 campaign. However you analyze it, it was a thorough domination. At least Brady didn't have to watch. The primary decision-maker of this current situation was working in Dallas on the network coverage for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Series of Dubious Choices

To be fair to Brady, he has only been involved for a year leading the team's football decisions, becoming a minority owner of the organization in 2024. But he was responsible for every significant move last summer, and all of them has backfired. Those decisions have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless team in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't hire veteran coach Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a Super Bowl and a college national championship, to oversee a long slog back up the league table. He was supposed to return the team to competitiveness and then transition them with a stable base in place. Conversely, Carroll is staring at the possibility of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Organizational Dysfunction

This isn't all Brady's fault, naturally. Mark Davis is still the majority owner. Davis has cycled through head coaches and front-office heads at a rate that would make even the New York Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a instability that has eliminated any clear strategic direction. Still, it's Brady's fingerprints that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," NFL Insider Tom Pelissero commented last offseason. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll said of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his opportunity to leave his mark on a team."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and placed the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed John Spytek, his former teammate and colleague in Tampa, to serve as general manager. He greenlit a team strategy to Carroll's preference, including dealing a third-round pick for Geno Smith and selecting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a poor-performing offensive line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the NCAA, making him the top-earning OC in the NFL. And he approved entrusting a flaky blocking unit – the bedrock for that coordinator and running back – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It has become a complete failure. The previous year's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and resilient. This year's Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has implemented an old-fashioned defensive philosophy, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any hopes for their rookie and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring energy. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the end of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was pronounced. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Myles Garrett, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the league all-time mark, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is optimism around the impressive rookie class that includes two potential stars – Quinshon Judkins at running back and Carson Schwesinger at LB. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be The Answer at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was against the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders demonstrated that the stage was not too big for him. With a complete preparation period to prepare, he was solid, taking what the opposition gave him and displaying glimpses of improvisation. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' first-year players represent future potential. That's a mirror 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 thinking they were a few adjustments away from respectability. In spite of the clear indications otherwise, they failed to adjust midstream. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing rookies to find out what they have for the future. 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 lack of action for two young blockers, despite the offensive line being a sieve. First-year pass catchers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine receptions in 11 games, despite the ineffectiveness in the passing game. Carroll continues to roll out grizzled vets on defense over rookies in need of reps.

Unclear Direction

Where is the future direction? Will the coach return 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, signs off major organizational decisions, and then disappears on other projects?

It's going to be a struggle for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a conference stacked with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have clear trajectories. The Jets are loaded with future draft picks. The Tennessee and New York have talented young QBs. 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 recognizing you're bad. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are building, or who will make decisions in the summer.

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