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Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering mission: becoming the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He achieved that goal. Now, in retirement, Brady has ventured into numerous pursuits. He serves as a commentator for Fox. He's involved in construction projects in the UK. He has promoted digital assets. He's expanding the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's retirement ventures appear either eclectic or unfocused, based on your perspective.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But overseeing a NFL team is not a casual commitment. In addition to 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 fell to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a decisive loss to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were embarrassed by a underperforming team with a QB making his professional debut. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged 2.9 yards per play before meaningless action in the final period. Geno Smith was tackled 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a single-game high for any team this year. 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 thorough domination. 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 another game.

A Collection of Questionable Decisions

To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's personnel choices, after becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last offseason, and all of them has proven unsuccessful. Those moves have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless franchise in the league.

This wasn't expected to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't appoint 74-year-old Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a championship and a college national championship, to oversee a protracted process back up the standings. He was supposed to restore the team to relevance and then transition them with a stable base in place. Conversely, Carroll is staring at the prospect of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Franchise Turmoil

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, of course. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has cycled through coaches and front-office heads at a rate that would make even the New York 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. Still, it's Brady's fingerprints that are all over this version of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter a prominent journalist commented last summer. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll stated of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his opportunity to put his stamp on a franchise."

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 dealing a draft selection for Geno Smith and drafting a running back with the sixth pick despite having a poor-performing O-line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he approved entrusting a unreliable offensive line – the foundation for that coach and running back – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Results

It's been a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and competitive. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an old-fashioned defensive scheme, the quarterback looks past his prime and the Raiders' offensive line has submarined any hopes for their rookie and the run game. If nothing else, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, counting down the plays to the conclusion of the game.

The contrast 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 NFL all-time mark, leads a formidable defense. And there is optimism around the impressive rookie class that includes two potential stars – a dynamic runner at running back and Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be the permanent solution at QB, but who is An Answer in the immediate future.

Admittedly, it was facing the Raiders' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the stage was not overwhelming for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was solid, accepting what the defense gave him and displaying flashes of improvisation. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start since 1995.

Absence of Direction

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 situation in the league hierarchy: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or rebuilding. Vegas entered 2025 believing they were a couple of moves away from respectability. Despite the overwhelming evidence otherwise, 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 future. But only two first-year players have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been tension between the coaches and the management regarding the lack of action for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the o-line being a sieve. Rookie receivers two young talents have combined for nine receptions in 11 games, despite the ineffectiveness in the passing game. Carroll continues to roll out grizzled vets on the defensive side over young players in need of reps.

Uncertain Future

Where is the path forward? Will Carroll be back or Spytek or the quarterback? And who actually makes those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise operate when its most powerful decision-maker logs in occasionally, signs off franchise-altering moves, and then vanishes on side quests?

It's going to be a struggle for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a conference stacked with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have clear trajectories. The Jets are stocked with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have nothing. No foundation. No quarterback. No identity. No strategic vision.

The only thing 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 call the shots in the offseason.

Tom Brady once mastered football through ruthless focus. The Raiders could benefit from more than an hour of it.