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Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a singular objective: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in league history. He achieved that dream. Today, in retirement, Brady has explored numerous pursuits. He serves as a commentator for a major network. He's engaged in development ventures in Birmingham. He has endorsed cryptocurrency. He's spreading the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his dog. Brady's retirement ventures appear either eclectic or unfocused, based on your perspective.

Side projects are one thing. But overseeing a NFL team is not a part-time job. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady functions as the unofficial decision-maker for the Raiders, presently the least successful team in the NFL.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on this past weekend after suffering a decisive loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were embarrassed by a struggling team with a QB making his professional debut. 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 was pressured 46 times, a single-game high for any team this season. On defense, Las Vegas allowed significant gains to a Cleveland offense that has been dysfunctional for the majority of the season. However you analyze it, it was a thorough domination. At least Brady didn't have to watch. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was sitting in Dallas on the network coverage for another game.

A Collection of Dubious Choices

To be fair 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 offseason, and all of them has backfired. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless franchise in the league.

This wasn't expected to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't hire veteran coach Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a Super Bowl and a college national championship, to oversee a protracted process back up the league table. He was supposed to restore the team to competitiveness and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Instead, Carroll is staring at the possibility of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Organizational Dysfunction

This is not all Brady's fault, of course. The majority owner is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has cycled through coaches and executives at a rate that would make even the Jets feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a instability that has eliminated 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," league reporter Tom Pelissero commented last offseason. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll stated of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his opportunity to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He appointed John Spytek, his college buddy and co-worker in Tampa, to serve as GM. He greenlit a team strategy to the coach's specifications, including trading a draft selection for Geno Smith and selecting a RB No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier O-line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the league. And he approved entrusting a flaky offensive line – the foundation for that coach and running back – to Carroll's son.

Disastrous Outcomes

It's been a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and competitive. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an old-fashioned defensive philosophy, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' blocking unit has submarined any hopes for their rookie and the ground attack. At the very least, Carroll was supposed to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were lifeless 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 glimmers of optimism. Their star defender, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the league all-time mark, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – a dynamic runner at running back and a skilled defender 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 against the Raiders' defense, but Sanders showed that the NFL level was not overwhelming for him. With a full week to prepare, he was effective, taking what the defense gave him and showing glimpses of creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his first start since 1995.

Lack of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' first-year players represent future potential. That's a reflection the Raiders don't want to look into. Good organizations recognize their position in the ecosystem: you're either a contender, a competitive squad, or rebuilding. Vegas began the season believing they were a couple of moves away from competitiveness. Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, they haven't pivoted 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 apparently already been disagreement between the coaches and the front office regarding the lack of action for two young blockers, despite the offensive line being a sieve. Rookie receivers two young talents have combined for nine catches in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out experienced veterans on the defensive side over young players in need of reps.

Uncertain Direction

Where is the future direction? Will the coach return or the GM or Smith? And who actually makes those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its most powerful decision-maker logs in occasionally, approves major organizational decisions, and then disappears on side quests?

It will prove a struggle for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a conference filled with perennial playoff contenders. 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 franchise QB. No identity. No plan.

The single factor more dangerous than being ineffective in the NFL is not recognizing you're bad. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are developing, or who will make decisions in the offseason.

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