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Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering mission: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in league history. He achieved that goal. Today, in retirement, Brady has explored various endeavors. He works as a commentator for Fox. He's engaged in development ventures in Birmingham. He has promoted digital assets. He's expanding American football to the Middle East. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's post-career activities appear either diverse or aimless, depending on your perspective.

Secondary ventures are one thing. But overseeing a professional franchise is hardly a casual commitment. Alongside his various responsibilities, Brady also serves as the unofficial football leader for the Raiders, currently the most hapless team in the league.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on this past weekend 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' offense averaged less than three yards per play before garbage-time plays in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a season record for any team this season. On the defensive side, Las Vegas allowed significant gains to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been ineffective for the majority of the campaign. However you analyze it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. At least Brady didn't have to watch. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was working in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Series of Questionable Choices

In fairness to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's football decisions, becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise in 2024. But he was accountable for every major decision last offseason, and all of them has backfired. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the least entertaining and directionless team in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't appoint 74-year-old Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a Super Bowl and a NCAA title, to oversee a protracted process back up the standings. He was supposed to restore the team to competitiveness and then transition them with a stable base in place. Instead, Carroll is staring at the possibility of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Organizational Turmoil

This is not entirely Brady's responsibility, 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 general manager in 15 years, a instability that has eliminated 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," NFL Insider Tom Pelissero said last summer. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll said of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his chance to put his stamp on a team."

Brady was responsible for the crucial appointments and set the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed John Spytek, his college buddy and co-worker in Tampa, to serve as GM. He approved a team strategy to the coach's specifications, including dealing a third-round pick for Smith and drafting a running back No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier O-line. He lured Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the league. And he signed off on handing a unreliable offensive line – the foundation for that coordinator and running back – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It's been a disaster. The previous year's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and competitive. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an old-fashioned defensive scheme, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any hopes for their rookie and the run game. If nothing else, Carroll was expected to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, counting down the snaps to the end of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was pronounced. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. Myles Garrett, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the NFL single-season record, 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 Carson Schwesinger at LB. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be the permanent solution at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the short-term.

Granted, it was facing the Raiders' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not overwhelming for him. With a complete preparation period to prepare, he was solid, taking what the defense gave him and displaying flashes of creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his first start since 1995.

Absence of Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' rookie class represent promise. That's a mirror the Raiders don't want to look into. Good organizations recognize their position in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a frisky playoff team, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a few adjustments away from competitiveness. Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, they haven't pivoted during the season. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be throwing out young players to discover what they have for the coming years. But only two rookies have seen significant action. There has reportedly already been tension between the coaching staff and the management regarding the limited playing time for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the offensive line being a sieve. Rookie receivers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine catches in 11 games, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on the defensive side over rookies in need of experience.

Unclear Direction

Where is the path forward? Will the coach return or the GM or the quarterback? And who actually makes those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise operate when its primary influencer participates sporadically, signs off franchise-altering moves, and then disappears on other projects?

It's going to be a struggle for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a conference filled with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have paths. The New York Jets are loaded with future draft picks. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have nothing. No foundation. No franchise QB. No identity. No plan.

The single factor 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 building, or who will call the shots in the offseason.

Tom Brady once excelled at football through intense dedication. The Raiders could benefit from more than an hour of it.