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Tom Brady committed over two decades to a singular objective: becoming the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He accomplished that dream. Now, in retirement, Brady has explored various endeavors. He works as a broadcaster for Fox. He's engaged in construction projects in Birmingham. He has promoted digital assets. He's expanding American football to Saudi Arabia. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's retirement ventures appear either eclectic or unfocused, depending on your viewpoint.

Secondary ventures are one thing. But overseeing a professional franchise is not a part-time job. Alongside his various responsibilities, Brady functions as the unofficial football leader for the Las Vegas franchise, currently the least successful team in the league.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on Sunday after enduring a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were humiliated by a underperforming 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. Their quarterback was tackled 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a single-game high for any franchise this year. On defense, Las Vegas allowed significant gains 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 witness it. The architect of this current situation was working in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Collection of Dubious Choices

To be fair to Brady, he has only been involved for a year guiding the team's personnel choices, after 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 expected to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't hire 74-year-old Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a championship and a NCAA title, to oversee a long slog back up the league table. He was expected to restore the team to relevance 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 reboot.

Franchise Dysfunction

This is not entirely Brady's responsibility, of course. Mark Davis is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has cycled through head coaches and front-office heads at a speed that would make even the Jets feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a instability 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," NFL Insider a prominent journalist said last offseason. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll said of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his chance to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady made the crucial appointments and placed the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired John Spytek, his former teammate and colleague in Tampa, to serve as GM. He approved a roster plan to Carroll's preference, including dealing a third-round pick for Smith and selecting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He lured Chip Kelly away from the college ranks, making him the highest-paid OC in the NFL. And he signed off on handing a unreliable blocking unit – the foundation for that coach and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Results

It has become a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were scrappy and resilient. This year's Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive philosophy, the quarterback looks washed 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 uninspired on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the conclusion of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was pronounced. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. Their star defender, now just five sacks away from the NFL single-season record, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking rookie class that includes multiple promising talents – a dynamic runner 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 immediate future.

Admittedly, it was against the Raiders' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not too big for him. With a complete preparation period to prepare, he was solid, accepting what the defense gave him and showing glimpses of creativity. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start since 1995.

Absence of Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' rookie class symbolize future potential. That's a reflection the Raiders should avoid. Good organizations recognize their situation in the ecosystem: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or rebuilding. Vegas began the season thinking they were a few adjustments away from respectability. Despite the overwhelming evidence otherwise, they failed to adjust during the season. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing young players to find out what they have for the future. But only two first-year players have seen real playing time. There has apparently already been tension between the coaching staff and the management regarding the lack of action for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a weak point. Rookie receivers two young talents have totaled nine catches in eleven contests, despite the lack of spark in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on defense over rookies in need of experience.

Uncertain Future

Where is the path forward? Will Carroll be back or the GM or the quarterback? And who truly decides those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise operate when its most powerful decision-maker participates sporadically, approves major organizational decisions, and then vanishes on other projects?

It will prove a challenge for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a division filled with consistently successful teams. Meanwhile, other reconstructing teams have clear trajectories. The New York Jets are loaded with future draft picks. The Tennessee and New York have talented young QBs. The Raiders have nothing. No core. No quarterback. No distinctive style. No plan.

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

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