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Tom Brady committed over two decades to a unwavering objective: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He achieved that goal. Now, in retirement, Brady has explored various pursuits. He works as a commentator for a major network. He's engaged in construction projects in the UK. He has endorsed cryptocurrency. He's expanding American football to the Middle East. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's retirement activities appear either eclectic or unfocused, depending on your viewpoint.

Secondary ventures are one thing. But managing a NFL team is not a casual commitment. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady functions as the unofficial football leader for the Raiders, presently the most hapless team in the league.

The Raiders fell 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 underperforming team with a quarterback making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged 2.9 yards per play before garbage-time action in the final period. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a season record for any team this year. On the defensive side, Las Vegas allowed significant gains to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been ineffective for most of the campaign. However you analyze it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to witness it. The primary decision-maker of this current situation was sitting in Dallas on the network coverage for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Collection of Questionable Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only spent one season guiding the team's football decisions, becoming a partial stakeholder of the organization in 2024. But he was responsible for every major decision last summer, and all of them has proven unsuccessful. Those decisions have left the Raiders as the least entertaining and directionless team in the NFL.

This wasn't supposed to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't appoint veteran coach Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a Super Bowl and a NCAA title, to oversee a long slog back up the league table. He was supposed to restore the team to relevance and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Instead, Carroll is staring at the prospect of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Franchise Turmoil

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, of course. Mark Davis is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through coaches and front-office heads at a rate that would make even the New York Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a instability that has erased any coherent long-term vision. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence that are all over this version of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter Tom Pelissero said last offseason. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll said of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his opportunity to put his stamp on a team."

Brady made the key hires and placed the Raiders on this directionless path. He hired John Spytek, his former teammate and colleague in Tampa, to act as GM. He approved a team strategy to the coach's specifications, including dealing a third-round pick for Smith and drafting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a poor-performing offensive line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the NCAA, making him the top-earning offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he signed off on entrusting a flaky offensive line – the bedrock for that coach and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It's been a disaster. The previous year'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 philosophy, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' blocking unit has undermined any hopes for their rookie and the run game. If nothing else, Carroll was expected to bring energy. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the end of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was stark. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. Their star defender, now just five sacks away from the league all-time mark, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is positive outlook around the impressive rookie class that includes two potential stars – Quinshon Judkins at RB and Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be the permanent solution at QB, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

Granted, it was facing the Raiders' defense, but Sanders demonstrated 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 showing glimpses of creativity. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Vision

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' first-year players symbolize promise. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises understand their position in the league hierarchy: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or rebuilding. Vegas began the season believing they were a few adjustments away from respectability. Despite the clear indications to the contrary, they failed to adjust midstream. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing 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 coaches and the management regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the offensive line being a weak point. First-year pass catchers two young talents have combined for nine catches in 11 games, despite the ineffectiveness in the passing game. Carroll continues to roll out grizzled vets on defense over rookies in need of experience.

Unclear Direction

Where is the future direction? Will the coach return or the GM or Smith? 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 franchise-altering moves, and then disappears on side quests?

It will prove a challenge for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a division stacked with consistently successful teams. Meanwhile, other rebuilders have clear trajectories. The Jets are stocked with upcoming selections. 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 ineffective in the NFL is not recognizing you're bad. The Raiders lack clarity on where they are, what they are building, or who will call the shots in the offseason.

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