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Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a singular mission: becoming the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He achieved that goal. Now, in his post-playing career, Brady has explored various endeavors. He serves as a commentator for a major network. He's involved in development ventures in Birmingham. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's spreading the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He maintains a popular YouTube channel. He replicated his dog. Brady's retirement activities appear either diverse or aimless, based on your viewpoint.

Side projects are understandable. But overseeing a NFL team is hardly a part-time job. Alongside his various responsibilities, Brady also serves as the de facto decision-maker for the Raiders, currently the most hapless team in the NFL.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on this past weekend after enduring a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland 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 2.9 yards per play before meaningless plays 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 the majority 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 Fox broadcast for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Series of Dubious Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only been involved for a year leading the team's personnel choices, after becoming a minority owner of the organization in 2024. But he was accountable for every major decision last offseason, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those decisions have left the Raiders as the least entertaining and aimless team in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't appoint 74-year-old Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a championship and a NCAA title, to manage a protracted process back up the league table. He was expected to return the team to relevance and then transition them with a stable base in place. Conversely, Carroll is facing the prospect of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Organizational Turmoil

This is not entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. The majority owner is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has churned through head coaches and front-office heads at a speed 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. Nevertheless, it's Brady's fingerprints that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter Tom Pelissero said last offseason. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll stated of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his chance to put his stamp on a franchise."

Brady was responsible for the crucial appointments and placed the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed a close associate, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to serve as general manager. He greenlit a roster plan to Carroll's preference, including trading a third-round pick for Geno Smith and drafting a running back No 6 overall despite having a poor-performing offensive line. He recruited Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he signed off on handing a unreliable offensive line – the foundation for that coach and running back – to Carroll's son.

Disastrous Results

It's been a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and competitive. This year's Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive philosophy, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any aspirations for their rookie and the ground attack. If nothing else, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, counting down the snaps to the end of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was pronounced. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. 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 two potential stars – Quinshon Judkins at RB and a skilled defender 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' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not too big for him. With a complete preparation period to prepare, he was solid, accepting what the defense gave him and showing flashes of creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' first-year players symbolize promise. That's a reflection the Raiders don't want to look into. Good organizations understand their position in the league hierarchy: you're either a contender, a competitive squad, or rebuilding. Vegas began the season thinking they were a couple of moves away from respectability. In spite of the overwhelming evidence otherwise, they failed to adjust midstream. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing rookies to discover what they have for the coming years. But only two rookies have seen significant action. There has apparently already been disagreement between the coaching staff and the management regarding the lack of action for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a sieve. First-year pass catchers two young talents have totaled nine receptions in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on the defensive side over rookies in need of reps.

Uncertain Future

Where is the path forward? Will Carroll be back or Spytek or Smith? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team function when its primary influencer logs in occasionally, approves 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 stacked with perennial playoff contenders. Meanwhile, other rebuilders have paths. The New York Jets are stocked with future draft picks. The Titans and Giants have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. No core. No quarterback. No identity. No plan.

The single factor more problematic than being bad in the NFL is not knowing you're underperforming. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are building, or who will make decisions in the offseason.

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