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Tom Brady dedicated over two decades to a singular mission: becoming the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He accomplished that dream. Now, in retirement, Brady has explored numerous pursuits. He works as a broadcaster for Fox. He's involved in development ventures in Birmingham. He has endorsed digital assets. He's spreading the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He maintains a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's retirement activities appear either diverse or aimless, depending on your viewpoint.

Side projects are one thing. But overseeing a professional franchise is hardly a casual commitment. Alongside his other roles, Brady functions as the de facto football leader for the Las Vegas franchise, presently the most hapless 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 lose; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a quarterback making his professional debut. The Raiders' offense averaged 2.9 yards per play before garbage-time action in the final period. Geno Smith was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a season record for any team this season. On defense, Las Vegas surrendered big plays to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional for the majority of the season. However you analyze it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was working in Dallas on the network coverage for another game.

A Collection of Questionable Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's football decisions, becoming a minority owner of the organization in 2024. But he was accountable for every major decision last summer, and all of them has proven unsuccessful. Those moves have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless team in the league.

This wasn't expected to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't appoint veteran coach Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a Super Bowl and a college national championship, to manage a long slog back up the standings. He was expected to restore the team to competitiveness and then hand them off with a solid foundation in place. Conversely, Carroll is facing the possibility of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Franchise Dysfunction

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, of course. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through head coaches and executives at a speed that would make even the New York Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a instability that has erased any coherent long-term vision. Still, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," NFL Insider Tom Pelissero said last offseason. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll stated of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his chance to leave his mark on a team."

Brady made the crucial appointments and set the Raiders on this directionless path. He hired a close associate, his college buddy and co-worker in Tampa, to serve as general manager. He greenlit a team strategy to the coach's specifications, including dealing a draft selection for Smith and selecting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier O-line. He lured an offensive innovator away from the NCAA, making him the top-earning offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he signed off on entrusting a unreliable offensive line – the foundation for that coordinator and running back – to the coach's family member.

Disastrous Results

It has become a complete failure. The previous year's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and resilient. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive scheme, the quarterback looks washed and the Raiders' blocking unit has undermined any hopes for their rookie and the ground attack. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, counting down 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 glimmers of optimism. Myles Garrett, now just five sacks away from the NFL single-season record, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is positive outlook around the stellar-looking rookie class that includes multiple promising talents – a dynamic runner at running back and Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be The Answer at quarterback, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was against the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders showed that the stage was not too big for him. With a full week to prepare, he was solid, accepting what the opposition gave him and showing glimpses of creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut game since 1995.

Absence of Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' rookie class represent future potential. That's a mirror the Raiders don't want to look into. Successful franchises understand their situation in the league hierarchy: you're either a contender, a competitive squad, or rebuilding. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a few adjustments away from competitiveness. In spite of the clear indications otherwise, they failed to adjust midstream. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be throwing out young players to discover 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 coaches and the management regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the o-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 ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out grizzled vets on the defensive side over young players in need of reps.

Unclear Future

Where is the future direction? Will Carroll be back or the GM or the quarterback? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise operate when its primary influencer participates sporadically, signs off major organizational decisions, and then vanishes on other projects?

It's going to be a struggle for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a division filled with consistently successful teams. Meanwhile, other reconstructing teams have paths. The New York Jets are stocked with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have nothing. No foundation. No franchise QB. No distinctive style. No plan.

The only thing more dangerous than being bad in the NFL is not knowing you're bad. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are developing, or who will make decisions in the summer.

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