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Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a singular objective: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He achieved that goal. Today, in retirement, Brady has explored various pursuits. He serves as a commentator for Fox. He's involved in construction projects in the UK. He has endorsed cryptocurrency. He's expanding American football to Saudi Arabia. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his dog. Brady's retirement activities appear either diverse or unfocused, based on your perspective.

Side projects are one thing. But overseeing a professional franchise is hardly a part-time job. In addition to his other roles, Brady also serves as the de facto decision-maker for the Raiders, presently the least successful team in the league.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were embarrassed by a struggling team with a quarterback making his professional debut. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged 2.9 yards per play before garbage-time plays in the final period. 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 dysfunctional for the majority of the campaign. Any way you slice it, it was a thorough domination. At least Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was working in Dallas on the network coverage for another game.

A Series of Dubious Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only spent one season guiding the team's football decisions, after becoming a minority owner of the organization in 2024. But he was responsible for every major decision last offseason, and all of them has backfired. Those decisions have resulted in the Raiders as the least entertaining and aimless franchise in the NFL.

This wasn't supposed to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't appoint veteran coach Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a championship 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 solid foundation in place. Conversely, Carroll is facing the possibility of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Organizational Dysfunction

This is not entirely Brady's responsibility, of course. Mark Davis is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has churned through head coaches and executives at a rate that would make even the Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a instability that has erased any coherent long-term vision. Still, it's Brady's fingerprints that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter Tom Pelissero commented last offseason. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll stated of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his opportunity to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady was responsible for the crucial appointments and placed the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired a close associate, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to act as general manager. He approved a team strategy to Carroll's preference, including trading a draft selection for Geno Smith and selecting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a poor-performing O-line. He lured an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the highest-paid OC in the league. And he signed off on entrusting a unreliable blocking unit – the foundation for that coach and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It's been a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and competitive. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive philosophy, the quarterback looks past his prime and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any aspirations for Ashton Jeanty and the ground attack. At the very least, Carroll was supposed to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, counting down 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. Their star defender, now just five sacks away from the league single-season record, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is optimism around the impressive rookie class that includes two potential stars – Quinshon Judkins at RB and a skilled defender at LB. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be the permanent solution at QB, but who is An Answer in the short-term.

Granted, it was facing the Raiders' defense, but Sanders showed that the NFL level was not overwhelming for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was solid, taking what the defense gave him and displaying flashes of creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his first start since 1995.

Lack of Vision

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' rookie class symbolize 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 contender, a competitive squad, or rebuilding. Vegas entered 2025 believing they were a couple of moves away from respectability. Despite the clear indications otherwise, they haven't pivoted during the season. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be throwing out young players to discover what they have for the coming years. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been tension between the coaches and the management regarding the lack of action for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the o-line being a weak point. Rookie receivers two young talents have combined for nine receptions in 11 games, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize experienced veterans on the defensive side over young players in need of experience.

Unclear Direction

What is the future direction? 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 participates sporadically, signs off major organizational decisions, and then vanishes on side quests?

It's going to be a struggle for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a conference filled with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have paths. The Jets are stocked with upcoming selections. The Tennessee and New York have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No franchise QB. No distinctive style. 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 developing, or who will call the shots in the offseason.

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