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Tom Brady dedicated over two decades to a singular objective: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He achieved that goal. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has explored various pursuits. He serves as a broadcaster for a major network. He's involved in development ventures in Birmingham. He has promoted digital assets. He's spreading American football to the Middle East. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his family pet. Brady's post-career ventures appear either eclectic or aimless, based on your perspective.

Side projects are understandable. But managing a NFL team is not a casual commitment. Alongside his various responsibilities, Brady also serves as the de facto football leader for the Raiders, presently the least successful team in the NFL.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering 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. Their quarterback was tackled 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a single-game high for any franchise this season. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered big plays to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been ineffective for most of the season. Any way you slice it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. Fortunately Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this current situation was working in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Series of Dubious Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's personnel choices, after becoming a partial stakeholder of the organization in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last offseason, and each one has backfired. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the least entertaining and directionless franchise in the NFL.

This wasn't expected to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't appoint 74-year-old Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a Super Bowl and a NCAA title, to manage a long slog back up the league table. He was supposed to return the team to competitiveness and then hand them off with a solid foundation in place. Conversely, Carroll is staring at the prospect of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Organizational Turmoil

This isn't all Brady's fault, of course. The majority owner is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has cycled through 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 turnover rate that has erased any coherent long-term vision. Still, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter Tom Pelissero said last offseason. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll stated of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his chance to leave his mark on a team."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and set the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed a close associate, his college buddy and co-worker in Tampa, to act as GM. He greenlit a roster plan to Carroll's preference, including trading a draft selection for Smith and selecting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a poor-performing offensive line. He lured an offensive innovator away from the NCAA, making him the top-earning OC in the league. And he approved entrusting a flaky offensive line – the bedrock for that coach and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Results

It has become a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and resilient. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an outdated defensive philosophy, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any hopes for their rookie and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, waiting for the plays 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 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 – a dynamic runner at running back and a skilled defender at linebacker. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be the permanent solution at quarterback, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was facing the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders showed that the stage was not too big for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was solid, accepting what the defense gave him and showing glimpses of creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his first start since 1995.

Lack of Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' first-year players represent promise. That's a reflection the Raiders don't want to look into. Good organizations recognize their situation in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 believing they were a couple of moves away from respectability. In spite of the clear indications to the contrary, they haven't pivoted midstream. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be throwing out rookies to find out what they have for the coming years. But only two first-year players have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been disagreement between the coaching staff and the management regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the offensive line being a weak point. Rookie receivers two young talents have totaled nine receptions in eleven contests, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to roll out grizzled vets on the defensive side over rookies in need of reps.

Unclear Future

What is the future direction? Will the coach return or Spytek or the quarterback? And who truly decides those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise operate when its most powerful decision-maker logs in occasionally, approves franchise-altering moves, and then vanishes on other projects?

It's going to be a challenge for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a division stacked with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other rebuilders have paths. The New York Jets are stocked with future draft picks. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have nothing. No core. No quarterback. No identity. No plan.

The single factor more problematic than being ineffective in the NFL is not recognizing you're underperforming. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are developing, or who will call the shots in the summer.

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