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Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a singular objective: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He achieved that goal. Now, in his post-playing career, Brady has explored various pursuits. He serves as a broadcaster for Fox. He's involved in development ventures in Birmingham. He has promoted digital assets. He's spreading the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's post-career activities appear either eclectic or unfocused, depending on your viewpoint.

Side projects are one thing. But overseeing a professional franchise is not a part-time job. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady also serves as the de facto football leader for the Las Vegas franchise, presently the least successful team in the NFL.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on Sunday after enduring a 24-10 defeat to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a QB making his professional debut. The Raiders' offense averaged 2.9 yards per play before meaningless plays in the final period. Their quarterback was tackled 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a single-game high for any franchise this season. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered significant gains to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been ineffective for most 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 working in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for another game.

A Collection of Questionable Choices

In fairness to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's football decisions, after becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last offseason, and each one has backfired. Those moves have left the Raiders as the least entertaining and directionless team in the NFL.

This wasn't expected 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 college national championship, to oversee a long slog back up the standings. He was expected to restore the team to relevance and then transition them with a stable base in place. Instead, Carroll is facing the possibility of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Franchise Dysfunction

This is not entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. Mark Davis is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through coaches and executives at a rate that would make even the Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a turnover rate that has eliminated any coherent long-term vision. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter a prominent journalist said last offseason. "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 key hires and set the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed a close associate, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to act as general manager. He greenlit a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including trading a third-round pick for Geno Smith and drafting a RB No 6 overall despite having a poor-performing O-line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the highest-paid OC in the NFL. And he signed off on entrusting a unreliable offensive line – the bedrock for that coordinator and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It has become a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and resilient. The current Raiders are a confused mess. 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. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, waiting for the plays 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 quarterback takedowns away from the NFL all-time mark, leads a formidable defense. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking rookie class that includes two potential stars – a dynamic runner at running back and a skilled defender at LB. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be The Answer at quarterback, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

Granted, 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 defense gave him and displaying flashes 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 mirror the Raiders don't want to look into. Good organizations recognize their position in the ecosystem: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or rebuilding. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a few adjustments away from respectability. Despite the clear indications to the contrary, they failed to adjust during the season. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing young players to find out what they have for the coming years. But only two first-year players have seen real playing time. There has apparently already been disagreement 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 lack of spark in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out grizzled vets on the defensive side over rookies in need of experience.

Unclear Direction

Where is the future direction? Will the coach return or Spytek or Smith? And who actually makes those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a team function when its most powerful decision-maker logs in occasionally, signs off franchise-altering moves, and then vanishes on other projects?

It will prove a challenge for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a conference filled with perennial playoff contenders. Meanwhile, other rebuilders have paths. The New York Jets are stocked with upcoming selections. The Tennessee and New York have talented young QBs. The Raiders have nothing. No foundation. No franchise QB. No identity. No strategic vision.

The single factor more dangerous than being bad in the NFL is not recognizing you're bad. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are building, or who will call the shots in the offseason.

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