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Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering objective: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He achieved that dream. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has explored various endeavors. He serves as a broadcaster for a major network. He's engaged in development ventures in Birmingham. He has endorsed digital assets. He's expanding American football to the Middle East. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his family pet. Brady's post-career activities appear either eclectic or aimless, depending on your perspective.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But overseeing a professional franchise is not a casual commitment. Alongside his other roles, Brady also serves as the de facto decision-maker for the Las Vegas franchise, presently the most hapless team in the league.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on Sunday after enduring a 24-10 defeat to the 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 defense, Las Vegas surrendered big plays to a Cleveland offense that has been ineffective for most of the season. Any way you slice it, it was a thorough domination. At least Brady didn't have to witness it. The primary decision-maker of this latest Vegas mess was working in Dallas on the network coverage for another game.

A Series of Questionable Choices

In fairness to Brady, he has only been involved for a year 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 offseason, and all of them has backfired. Those decisions have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless team in the NFL.

This wasn't supposed 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 standings. He was expected to return the team to competitiveness and then hand them off with a solid foundation in place. Conversely, Carroll is staring at the prospect of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Organizational Turmoil

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. Mark Davis is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has cycled through head coaches and front-office heads at a rate that would make even the New York Jets feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a turnover rate that has erased any clear strategic direction. Nevertheless, it's Brady's fingerprints that are evident throughout this version of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," NFL Insider Tom Pelissero said last offseason. "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 franchise."

Brady was responsible for the crucial appointments and set the Raiders on this directionless path. He hired John Spytek, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to serve as GM. He approved a team strategy to the coach's specifications, including trading a draft selection for Geno Smith and selecting a running back No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier O-line. He recruited Chip Kelly away from the college ranks, making him the highest-paid OC in the league. And he approved handing a unreliable offensive line – the bedrock for that coach and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Results

It's been a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and resilient. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an old-fashioned defensive scheme, the quarterback looks past his prime and the Raiders' blocking unit has undermined any aspirations for their rookie and the ground attack. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the conclusion of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was pronounced. 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 single-season record, leads a formidable defense. And there is positive outlook around the impressive rookie class that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at running back and a skilled defender at LB. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be the permanent solution at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the short-term.

Granted, it was facing the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders showed that the stage was not overwhelming for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was effective, taking what the opposition gave him and displaying glimpses of creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his first start since 1995.

Lack of Vision

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' first-year players represent future potential. That's a reflection the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises understand their position in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or rebuilding. Vegas began the season thinking they were a couple of moves away from competitiveness. In spite of the clear indications otherwise, they failed to adjust during the season. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing young players to discover what they have for the future. But only two first-year players have seen significant action. There has apparently already been tension between the coaches and the management regarding the limited playing time for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the offensive line being a sieve. First-year pass catchers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine catches in eleven contests, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out grizzled vets on the defensive side over young players in need of experience.

Uncertain Future

What is the path forward? Will the coach return or Spytek or the quarterback? And who actually makes those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its most powerful decision-maker logs in occasionally, signs off major organizational decisions, and then vanishes on side quests?

It will prove a struggle for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a division filled with perennial playoff contenders. Meanwhile, other reconstructing teams have clear trajectories. The New York Jets are stocked with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No core. No quarterback. No distinctive style. No plan.

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

Tom Brady once mastered football through intense dedication. The Raiders could benefit from more than limited attention of it.