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Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering mission: becoming the most accomplished QB in league history. He achieved that dream. Now, in retirement, Brady has explored numerous endeavors. He works as a commentator for Fox. He's involved in development ventures in the UK. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's expanding the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's retirement activities appear either diverse or unfocused, based on your viewpoint.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But overseeing a NFL team is hardly a part-time job. In addition to his other roles, Brady functions as the unofficial decision-maker for the Las Vegas franchise, currently the most hapless team in the league.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a decisive loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were embarrassed by a struggling team with a quarterback making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged 2.9 yards per play before garbage-time action in the final period. Geno Smith was tackled 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a single-game high for any team this year. On the defensive side, Las Vegas allowed significant gains to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional for most of the season. Any way you slice it, it was a thorough domination. At least Brady didn't have to watch. The architect of this current situation was sitting in Dallas on the network coverage for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Series of Dubious Decisions

To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's personnel choices, after becoming a minority owner of the organization in 2024. But he was responsible for every major decision last summer, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless team in the league.

This wasn't expected to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't hire 74-year-old Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a Super Bowl and a college national championship, to manage a long slog back up the league table. He was expected to restore the team to relevance and then transition them with a stable base in place. Instead, Carroll is facing the possibility of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Franchise Turmoil

This is not all Brady's fault, naturally. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through head coaches and front-office heads at a rate that would make even the New York Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a instability that has eliminated any coherent long-term vision. Nevertheless, it's Brady's fingerprints that are all over this version of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," league reporter a prominent journalist commented last summer. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll stated of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his chance to put his stamp on a team."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and set the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed John Spytek, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to act as general manager. He greenlit a roster plan to Carroll's preference, including dealing a third-round pick for Geno Smith and selecting a running back No 6 overall despite having a poor-performing O-line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he signed off on handing a flaky blocking unit – the foundation for that coach and running back – to the coach's family member.

Disastrous Outcomes

It has become a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and resilient. This year's Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has installed an outdated defensive philosophy, the quarterback looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty 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 stark. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. Their star defender, now just five sacks away from the NFL all-time mark, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is positive outlook around the impressive rookie class that includes multiple promising talents – a dynamic runner at RB and Carson Schwesinger at LB. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be the permanent solution at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the immediate future.

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

Absence of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' first-year players represent promise. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Good organizations recognize their position in the league hierarchy: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas began the season thinking they were a couple of moves away from competitiveness. In spite of the clear indications to the contrary, they haven't pivoted during the season. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing young players to discover what they have for the future. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has apparently already been tension between the coaching staff and the front office 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 catches in eleven contests, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to roll out grizzled vets on defense over young players in need of reps.

Uncertain Future

Where is the path forward? Will Carroll be back or Spytek or the quarterback? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its most powerful decision-maker participates sporadically, signs off franchise-altering moves, and then disappears on other projects?

It will prove a struggle for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a conference stacked with consistently successful teams. Meanwhile, other rebuilders have paths. The New York Jets are loaded with future draft picks. The Titans and Giants have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have nothing. No foundation. No quarterback. No identity. No plan.

The single factor more dangerous than being ineffective in the NFL is not knowing you're bad. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are building, or who will make decisions in the offseason.

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