🔗 Share this article

Tom Brady dedicated over two decades to a singular objective: becoming the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He accomplished that goal. Now, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into various pursuits. He serves as a commentator for a major network. He's involved in development ventures in Birmingham. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's expanding American football to Saudi Arabia. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's retirement ventures appear either eclectic or aimless, based on your viewpoint.

Side projects are understandable. But overseeing a professional franchise is hardly a casual commitment. In addition to his other roles, Brady functions as the unofficial football leader for the Las Vegas franchise, presently the most hapless team in the league.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on this past weekend after enduring a decisive loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were embarrassed by a struggling team with a quarterback making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offense averaged less than three yards per play before garbage-time plays in the final period. Geno Smith was tackled 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a single-game high for any franchise this season. On the defensive side, Las Vegas allowed significant gains to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional 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 Eagles-Cowboys.

A Collection of Questionable Choices

To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season guiding the team's personnel choices, becoming a minority owner of the franchise in 2024. But he was responsible for every significant move last offseason, and each one has backfired. Those decisions have resulted in the Raiders as the least entertaining and aimless franchise in the NFL.

This wasn't supposed to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't hire 74-year-old Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a championship and a NCAA title, to manage a long slog back up the standings. He was supposed to return the team to competitiveness and then transition them with a stable base in place. Instead, Carroll is staring at the prospect of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Franchise Turmoil

This isn't all Brady's fault, of course. Mark Davis is still the majority owner. Davis has cycled through head coaches and front-office heads at a speed that would make even the Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a turnover rate that has erased any coherent long-term vision. Nevertheless, it's Brady's fingerprints that are all over this version of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," 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 made the crucial appointments and placed the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed a close associate, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to serve as GM. He greenlit a team strategy to the coach's specifications, including dealing a draft selection for Geno Smith and drafting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a poor-performing O-line. He lured Chip Kelly away from the college ranks, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he approved entrusting a flaky blocking unit – the foundation for that coordinator and running back – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Results

It has become a complete failure. The previous year's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were scrappy and competitive. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive philosophy, the quarterback looks past his prime and the Raiders' blocking unit has undermined any hopes for their rookie and the ground attack. If nothing else, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the end of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was stark. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Their star defender, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the league single-season record, leads a formidable defense. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking 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 permanent solution at quarterback, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was facing the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not overwhelming for him. With a full week to prepare, he was solid, accepting what the opposition gave him and displaying glimpses of creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut game since 1995.

Absence of Vision

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' first-year players represent future potential. That's a reflection the Raiders don't want to look into. Successful franchises understand their position in the league hierarchy: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or rebuilding. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a couple of moves away from competitiveness. In spite of the overwhelming evidence otherwise, they haven't pivoted during the season. Similar to the Browns, 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 apparently already been tension between the coaching staff and the front office regarding the lack of action 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 eleven contests, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to roll out experienced veterans on defense over rookies in need of experience.

Uncertain Direction

What is the path forward? Will the coach return or Spytek or the quarterback? And who truly decides those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise operate when its primary influencer participates sporadically, approves franchise-altering moves, and then vanishes on other projects?

It will prove a struggle for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a division filled with consistently successful teams. Meanwhile, other rebuilders have clear trajectories. The Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. No core. No quarterback. No identity. No strategic vision.

The single factor more problematic than being bad in the NFL is not knowing you're underperforming. 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 limited attention of it.