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Tom Brady dedicated over two decades to a unwavering objective: becoming the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He achieved that goal. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has explored numerous pursuits. He works as a commentator for a major network. He's involved in development ventures in Birmingham. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's expanding the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He maintains a popular YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's post-career ventures appear either diverse or aimless, based on your viewpoint.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But managing a professional franchise is not a part-time job. Alongside his other roles, Brady also serves 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 this past weekend after suffering a decisive loss 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' offensive unit averaged less than three yards per play before meaningless action in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a single-game high for any team this year. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered big plays to a Cleveland offense that has been dysfunctional for most of the season. However you analyze it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to witness it. The primary decision-maker of this latest Vegas mess was sitting in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for another game.

A Series of Dubious Choices

In fairness to Brady, he has only been involved for a year guiding the team's football decisions, becoming a minority owner of the franchise in 2024. But he was accountable for every major decision last summer, and all of them has backfired. Those decisions have left the Raiders as the least entertaining and directionless franchise in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't appoint veteran coach Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a championship and a college national championship, to manage a long slog back up the standings. He was supposed to restore the team to competitiveness 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.

Organizational Turmoil

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through coaches and front-office heads at a speed that would make even the Jets feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a instability that has erased any coherent long-term vision. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this version of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," NFL Insider a prominent journalist commented last offseason. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll stated of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his opportunity to leave his mark on a team."

Brady was responsible for the crucial appointments and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired John Spytek, his former teammate and co-worker 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 running back No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier O-line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the NCAA, making him the top-earning offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he approved entrusting a unreliable offensive line – the bedrock for that coach and running back – to Carroll's son.

Disastrous Outcomes

It has become a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and competitive. The current Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has implemented an old-fashioned defensive scheme, Smith looks past his prime 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 uninspired on Sunday, counting down the plays to the conclusion of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was stark. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Myles Garrett, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the league single-season record, leads a formidable defense. And there is optimism around the impressive first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – a dynamic runner at running back and a skilled defender at LB. 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 facing the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders showed that the NFL level was not overwhelming for him. With a full week to get ready, he was solid, accepting what the opposition gave him and displaying flashes of creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his first start since 1995.

Absence of Vision

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class represent future potential. That's a reflection the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises recognize their situation in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or rebuilding. Vegas entered 2025 believing they were a few adjustments away from respectability. In spite of the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, they failed to adjust during the season. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be throwing out young players to find out what they have for the future. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been tension between the coaching staff and the management regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a sieve. Rookie receivers two young talents have combined for nine catches in eleven contests, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize experienced veterans on the defensive side over rookies in need of reps.

Unclear Future

Where is the future direction? Will the coach return or Spytek or the quarterback? And who truly decides those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its primary influencer logs in occasionally, approves franchise-altering moves, and then disappears on side quests?

It's going to be a challenge for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a division filled with consistently successful teams. Meanwhile, other rebuilders have paths. The Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Tennessee and New York have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No quarterback. No identity. No strategic vision.

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

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