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Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering objective: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in league history. He accomplished that dream. Today, in retirement, Brady has explored various pursuits. He serves as a commentator for Fox. He's involved in development ventures in the UK. He has endorsed digital assets. He's expanding the NFL to the Middle East. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's retirement ventures appear either diverse or unfocused, depending on your perspective.

Side projects are one thing. But managing a NFL team is hardly a part-time job. Alongside his other roles, Brady functions as the unofficial decision-maker for the Raiders, presently the least successful team in the league.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a decisive loss to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a QB making his professional debut. The Raiders' offense averaged less than three yards per play before garbage-time action in the fourth quarter. Geno Smith was sacked 10 times and was pressured 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 ineffective for the majority of the season. Any way you slice it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. At least Brady didn't have to watch. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was sitting in Dallas on the network coverage for another game.

A Collection of Questionable Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's football decisions, after becoming a partial stakeholder of the organization in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last summer, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless franchise in the NFL.

This wasn't supposed to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't hire 74-year-old Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a championship and a college national championship, to manage a protracted process 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. Instead, Carroll is facing the possibility of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Franchise Dysfunction

This isn't all Brady's fault, of course. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through head coaches and front-office heads at a speed that would make even the New York Jets feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a turnover rate that has eliminated any clear strategic direction. Still, it's Brady's fingerprints that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," league reporter Tom Pelissero said last summer. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll said 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 crucial appointments and placed the Raiders on this rudderless course. He appointed a close associate, his former teammate and colleague in Tampa, to act as general manager. He greenlit a roster plan to Carroll's preference, including trading a third-round pick for Smith and drafting a running back No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the highest-paid OC in the NFL. And he signed off on entrusting a flaky offensive line – the foundation for that coordinator and running back – to Carroll's son.

Disastrous Outcomes

It has become a complete failure. The previous year's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and competitive. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive scheme, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has submarined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, counting down the snaps to the conclusion of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was stark. 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 all-time mark, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is optimism around the impressive rookie class that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at RB and Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be The Answer at QB, but who is An Answer in the immediate future.

Granted, it was against the Raiders' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not too big for him. With a full week to prepare, he was solid, accepting what the opposition gave him and displaying flashes of improvisation. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his first start since 1995.

Absence of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class symbolize promise. That's a reflection the Raiders don't want to look into. Successful franchises understand their position in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or rebuilding. Vegas began the season believing they were a few adjustments away from competitiveness. Despite the overwhelming evidence otherwise, they haven't pivoted during the season. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be throwing out young players to discover what they have for the future. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been tension between the coaches and the management regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a sieve. Rookie receivers two young talents have combined for nine receptions in 11 games, despite the ineffectiveness in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on defense over young players in need of reps.

Unclear Future

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

It will prove a challenge for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a conference stacked with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other rebuilders have clear trajectories. The New York Jets are stocked with upcoming selections. The Tennessee and New York have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No franchise QB. No identity. No strategic vision.

The single factor more dangerous than being ineffective in the NFL is not recognizing you're underperforming. The Raiders lack clarity on where they are, what they are developing, or who will call the shots in the offseason.

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