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Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering mission: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in league history. He accomplished that goal. Today, in retirement, Brady has explored numerous pursuits. He serves as a broadcaster for Fox. He's engaged in construction projects in Birmingham. He has endorsed digital assets. He's expanding the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's post-career ventures appear either diverse or unfocused, depending on your perspective.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But managing a professional franchise is hardly a part-time job. In addition to his other roles, Brady functions as the de facto football leader for the Raiders, presently the most hapless team in the NFL.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on Sunday after enduring a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were humiliated by a underperforming team with a QB making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offense averaged less than three yards per play before meaningless plays in the final period. Geno Smith was tackled 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a season record for any team this season. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered big plays to a Cleveland offense that has been dysfunctional for the majority of the season. Any way you slice it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to witness it. The primary decision-maker of this latest Vegas mess was working in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for another game.

A Series of Questionable Decisions

To be fair to Brady, he has only been involved for a year guiding 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 all of them has backfired. Those decisions have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless franchise in the league.

This wasn't expected to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't hire 74-year-old Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a Super Bowl and a college national championship, to manage a long slog back up the standings. He was expected to return the team to competitiveness and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Instead, Carroll is facing the prospect of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Franchise Dysfunction

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, of course. The majority owner is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has cycled through head coaches and executives at a speed that would make even the Jets feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a instability that has erased any coherent long-term vision. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence that are all over this version of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," league reporter Tom Pelissero commented last summer. "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 franchise."

Brady made the key hires and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired a close associate, his former teammate and colleague in Tampa, to serve as GM. He greenlit a team strategy to the coach's specifications, including dealing a draft selection for Smith and selecting a running back No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier O-line. He lured an offensive innovator away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid OC in the league. And he approved handing a unreliable offensive line – the foundation for that coordinator and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It's been a complete failure. The previous year's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were scrappy and resilient. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive scheme, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' blocking unit has undermined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty and the ground attack. 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 difference with Cleveland was stark. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. Myles Garrett, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the league single-season record, leads a formidable defense. And there is positive outlook around the impressive first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at RB and a skilled defender at linebacker. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be The Answer at QB, but who is An Answer in the immediate future.

Admittedly, it was facing the Raiders' defense, but Sanders showed that the stage was not too big for him. With a full week to get ready, he was effective, accepting what the opposition gave him and displaying glimpses of creativity. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Vision

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' first-year players symbolize future potential. That's a reflection the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises understand their position in the ecosystem: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 believing they were a couple of moves away from competitiveness. Despite the clear indications otherwise, they failed to adjust during the season. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing young players to find out what they have for the future. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been disagreement between the coaching staff and the management regarding the lack of action for two young blockers, despite the offensive line being a sieve. Rookie receivers two young talents have combined for nine catches in eleven contests, despite the lack of spark in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize experienced veterans on the defensive side over young players in need of reps.

Uncertain Future

What is the future direction? Will the coach return or the GM or Smith? And who actually makes 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 side quests?

It's going to be a challenge for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a division filled with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other rebuilders have clear trajectories. The New York Jets are loaded with future draft picks. The Titans and Giants have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No quarterback. No identity. No strategic vision.

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 developing, or who will make decisions in the summer.

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