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Tom Brady committed over two decades to a singular mission: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in league history. He accomplished that dream. Now, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into various endeavors. He serves as a commentator for a major network. He's involved in construction projects in Birmingham. He has promoted digital assets. He's expanding American football to the Middle East. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's post-career ventures appear either diverse or unfocused, based on your perspective.

Side projects are understandable. But overseeing a NFL team is hardly a part-time job. In addition to his other roles, Brady functions as the de facto football leader for the Las Vegas franchise, currently the least successful team in the NFL.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a decisive loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were humiliated by a underperforming team with a QB making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged 2.9 yards per play before garbage-time action in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was tackled 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a season record for any team this year. On the defensive side, Las Vegas allowed significant gains to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional for the majority of the campaign. Any way you slice it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was working in Dallas on the network coverage for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Series of Dubious Decisions

To be fair to Brady, he has only been involved for a year guiding the team's personnel choices, becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise in 2024. But he was responsible for every significant move last offseason, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those moves have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless franchise in the league.

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 Super Bowl and a NCAA title, to manage a long slog back up the league table. He was expected to return the team to relevance and then transition them with a stable base in place. Instead, Carroll is staring at the prospect of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Organizational Dysfunction

This is not entirely Brady's responsibility, of course. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has cycled through head coaches and executives at a speed that would make even the New York 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. Still, it's Brady's fingerprints that are all over this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," NFL Insider a prominent journalist said last summer. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll stated of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his opportunity to leave his mark on a team."

Brady made the key hires and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired John Spytek, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to act as GM. He approved a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including trading a draft selection for Smith and drafting a RB 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 flaky offensive line – the foundation for that coach and running back – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It has become a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and competitive. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an outdated defensive scheme, the quarterback looks past his prime and the Raiders' offensive line has submarined any aspirations for their rookie and the ground attack. At the very least, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, waiting for 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 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 optimism around the impressive first-year players that includes two potential stars – Quinshon Judkins at RB and a skilled defender at linebacker. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be The Answer at quarterback, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was facing the Raiders' defense, but Sanders showed 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 displaying glimpses of creativity. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start since 1995.

Absence of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' first-year players symbolize promise. That's a reflection the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises understand their situation in the ecosystem: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 believing they were a few adjustments away from respectability. In spite of the clear indications otherwise, they failed to adjust midstream. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be throwing out rookies to find out what they have for the future. But only two first-year players 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 offensive line being a weak point. First-year pass catchers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have combined for nine receptions in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize experienced veterans on defense over young players in need of experience.

Uncertain Future

Where 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 operate when its most powerful decision-maker logs in occasionally, approves major organizational decisions, and then vanishes on other projects?

It will prove a challenge for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a division filled with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have clear trajectories. The New York Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No franchise QB. No identity. No strategic vision.

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

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