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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 dream. Today, in retirement, Brady has ventured into various endeavors. He serves as a commentator for a major network. He's involved in construction projects in the UK. He has endorsed digital assets. He's spreading the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his family pet. Brady's post-career ventures appear either diverse or aimless, based on your viewpoint.

Side projects are understandable. But managing a professional franchise is hardly a part-time job. Alongside his various responsibilities, Brady also serves as the de facto football leader for the Las Vegas franchise, presently the most hapless 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 lose; they were humiliated by a underperforming team with a quarterback making his professional debut. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged less than three yards per play before meaningless plays in the final period. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a single-game high for any team this year. On defense, Las Vegas allowed big plays to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional for the majority of the season. However you analyze it, it was a thorough domination. At least Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was sitting in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for another game.

A Series of Dubious Choices

To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season guiding the team's personnel choices, after becoming a minority owner of the franchise in 2024. But he was responsible for every significant move last offseason, and all of them has proven unsuccessful. Those moves have left the Raiders as the least entertaining and directionless team in the league.

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 protracted process back up the standings. He was expected to restore the team to relevance and then hand them off with a solid foundation in place. Instead, Carroll is facing the prospect of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Organizational Dysfunction

This isn't all Brady's fault, naturally. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has cycled through coaches and executives at a speed that would make even the 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. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this version of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," NFL Insider Tom Pelissero said last offseason. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll stated of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his opportunity to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired John Spytek, his former teammate and colleague in Tampa, to act as GM. He approved a team strategy to the coach's specifications, including trading a draft selection for Smith and drafting 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 league. And he signed off on entrusting a unreliable offensive line – the foundation for that coach and running back – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It's been a complete failure. The previous year's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and competitive. The current Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has installed an outdated defensive scheme, the quarterback looks washed and the Raiders' blocking unit has submarined any hopes for their rookie and the ground attack. At the very least, Carroll was supposed to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, counting down the plays to the conclusion of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was pronounced. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Myles Garrett, now just five sacks away from the NFL single-season record, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is positive outlook around the stellar-looking rookie class that includes two potential stars – Quinshon Judkins at RB and Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be the permanent solution at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the immediate future.

Admittedly, it was against the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders demonstrated that the stage was not overwhelming for him. With a complete preparation period to prepare, he was solid, taking what the defense gave him and showing flashes of creativity. 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 promise. That's a reflection the Raiders don't want to look into. Good organizations understand their situation in the ecosystem: you're either a contender, a competitive squad, or rebuilding. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a few adjustments away from competitiveness. Despite the clear indications to the contrary, 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 significant action. There has reportedly already been disagreement between the coaching staff and the management regarding the lack of action for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the o-line being a weak point. First-year pass catchers two young talents have totaled nine catches in eleven contests, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on defense over young players in need of reps.

Uncertain Future

Where is the future direction? Will Carroll be back or the GM or the quarterback? And who actually makes those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its most powerful decision-maker logs in occasionally, signs off franchise-altering moves, and then disappears on side quests?

It's going to be a struggle for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a division filled with consistently successful teams. At the same time, other rebuilders have paths. The New York Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. No core. No quarterback. No identity. No strategic vision.

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

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