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Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a singular mission: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in league history. He accomplished that goal. Now, in his post-playing career, Brady has explored numerous pursuits. He works as a broadcaster for a major network. He's engaged in construction projects in the UK. He has endorsed digital assets. He's expanding American football to Saudi Arabia. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's post-career activities appear either eclectic or aimless, depending on your viewpoint.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But overseeing a professional franchise is not a casual commitment. In addition to his other roles, Brady functions as the de facto football leader for the Las Vegas franchise, presently the most hapless team in the NFL.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on this past weekend after suffering a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland 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 action in the final period. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a season record for any franchise this season. On defense, Las Vegas surrendered significant gains to a Cleveland offensive unit 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 latest Vegas mess was working in Dallas on the network coverage for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Collection of Dubious Choices

To be fair to Brady, he has only been involved for a year leading the team's football decisions, after becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last summer, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those decisions have left the Raiders as the least entertaining and directionless franchise in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't appoint 74-year-old Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a Super Bowl and a college national championship, to oversee a protracted process back up the standings. He was supposed to restore the team to competitiveness and then hand them off with a solid foundation in place. Conversely, Carroll is staring at the prospect of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Organizational Turmoil

This is not all Brady's fault, naturally. The majority owner is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has churned through head coaches and front-office heads at a rate that would make even the New York Jets feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a turnover rate that has erased any coherent long-term vision. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this version of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," NFL Insider a prominent journalist commented last offseason. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll said of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his chance to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady made the crucial appointments and set the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed John Spytek, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to act as GM. He greenlit a team strategy to the coach's specifications, including dealing a draft selection for Geno Smith and selecting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid OC in the league. And he signed off on entrusting a unreliable offensive line – the bedrock for that coach and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Results

It has become a disaster. The previous year's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and resilient. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive philosophy, the quarterback looks past his prime and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any hopes for their rookie and the ground attack. If nothing else, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, counting down the plays to the end of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was pronounced. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Myles Garrett, now just five sacks away from the league all-time mark, leads a formidable defense. And there is optimism around the impressive rookie class that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at running back and Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be The Answer at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the immediate future.

Granted, it was against the Raiders' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the stage was not overwhelming for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was effective, accepting what the opposition gave him and showing flashes of improvisation. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start since 1995.

Absence of Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' first-year players represent promise. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Good organizations understand their situation in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a couple of moves away from respectability. In spite of the clear indications otherwise, they haven't pivoted during the season. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing rookies to discover what they have for the coming years. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has apparently already been tension between the coaches and the front office regarding the lack of action for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the offensive line being a sieve. First-year pass catchers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have combined for nine catches in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize experienced veterans on defense over rookies in need of experience.

Unclear Future

Where is the path forward? Will the coach return or Spytek or the quarterback? And who actually makes those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its primary influencer participates sporadically, approves franchise-altering moves, and then vanishes on side quests?

It's going to be a struggle for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a conference filled with consistently successful teams. Meanwhile, other reconstructing teams have paths. The Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No quarterback. No distinctive style. No plan.

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

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