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Tom Brady committed over two decades to a unwavering objective: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in league history. He accomplished that goal. Today, in retirement, Brady has explored various endeavors. He serves as a commentator for Fox. He's engaged in construction projects in the UK. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's expanding the NFL to the Middle East. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his dog. Brady's post-career activities appear either eclectic or aimless, depending on your perspective.

Side projects are one thing. But managing a professional franchise is hardly a part-time job. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady also serves as the de facto football leader for the Raiders, presently the least successful team in the NFL.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on Sunday after enduring a decisive loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a QB making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged 2.9 yards per play before meaningless action in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a single-game high for any team this season. On defense, Las Vegas allowed big plays to a Cleveland offense that has been dysfunctional for the majority of the season. However you analyze it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. At least Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was sitting in Dallas on the network coverage for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Collection of Dubious Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's personnel choices, becoming a partial stakeholder of the organization in 2024. But he was responsible for every significant move last summer, and all of them has backfired. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless team 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 oversee a protracted process back up the league table. He was expected 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 fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Franchise Turmoil

This is not all Brady's fault, of course. Mark Davis is still the majority owner. Davis has cycled through coaches and front-office heads 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 erased any coherent long-term vision. Still, it's Brady's fingerprints that are all over this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter Tom Pelissero commented last summer. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll stated of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his opportunity to put his stamp on a franchise."

Brady was responsible for the crucial appointments and set the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed a close associate, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to act as GM. He approved a team strategy to Carroll's preference, including dealing a third-round pick for Geno Smith and drafting a running back with the sixth pick despite having a poor-performing offensive line. He lured Chip Kelly away from the college ranks, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he signed off on handing a unreliable blocking unit – the bedrock for that coordinator and running back – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It's been a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and resilient. This year's Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive scheme, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has submarined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty and the ground attack. If nothing else, Carroll was supposed to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, counting down the plays to the conclusion of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was pronounced. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Myles Garrett, now just five sacks away from the league all-time mark, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking rookie class that includes multiple promising talents – a dynamic runner at RB and a skilled defender at LB. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be the permanent solution at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the immediate future.

Granted, it was facing the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders showed that the stage was not overwhelming for him. With a full week to prepare, he was effective, accepting what the defense gave him and displaying glimpses of creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his first start since 1995.

Absence of Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' rookie class symbolize future potential. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Good organizations recognize their position in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas began the season believing they were a few adjustments away from respectability. Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, they haven't pivoted midstream. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing rookies to discover what they have for the coming years. But only two first-year players have seen significant action. There has apparently already been disagreement between the coaching staff and the front office regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a weak point. Rookie receivers two young talents have totaled nine receptions in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out experienced veterans on defense over rookies in need of experience.

Unclear Direction

What is the future direction? Will Carroll be back or Spytek or Smith? And who actually makes those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its primary influencer participates sporadically, approves major organizational decisions, and then disappears on other projects?

It will prove a challenge for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a division filled with consistently successful teams. At the same time, other rebuilders have paths. The New York Jets are loaded with future draft picks. The Titans and Giants have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have nothing. No core. No quarterback. No identity. No plan.

The single factor more problematic than being bad in the NFL is not recognizing you're bad. The Raiders lack clarity on where they are, what they are building, or who will make decisions in the summer.

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