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Tom Brady dedicated over two decades to a unwavering mission: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He achieved that dream. Today, in retirement, Brady has explored numerous endeavors. He serves as a commentator for a major network. He's involved in construction projects in Birmingham. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's spreading the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's post-career activities appear either diverse or aimless, depending on your viewpoint.

Secondary ventures are one thing. But managing a professional franchise is not 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 league.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on this past weekend after suffering a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were humiliated by a underperforming team with a QB making his professional debut. The Raiders' offense averaged less than three yards per play before garbage-time action in the final period. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a single-game high for any franchise this season. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered big plays to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional for the majority of the season. However you analyze it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. Fortunately Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was working in Dallas on the network coverage for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Collection of Dubious Decisions

To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's football decisions, after becoming a partial stakeholder of the organization in 2024. But he was responsible for every significant move last offseason, and all of them has proven unsuccessful. Those decisions have resulted in the Raiders as the least entertaining and directionless franchise in the NFL.

This wasn't supposed to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't appoint veteran coach Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a Super Bowl and a college national championship, to manage a protracted process back up the league table. He was supposed to restore the team to relevance and then hand them off with a solid foundation in place. Instead, Carroll is staring at the possibility of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Organizational Dysfunction

This isn't all Brady's fault, of course. Mark Davis is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has cycled through coaches and front-office heads at a speed that would make even the Jets feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a turnover rate that has eliminated any coherent long-term vision. Still, it's Brady's fingerprints that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter Tom Pelissero commented last summer. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll said of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his opportunity to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady made the crucial appointments and placed the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired a close associate, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to serve as GM. He greenlit a team strategy to the coach's specifications, including trading a third-round pick for Geno Smith and selecting a RB No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier O-line. He lured an offensive innovator away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the league. And he signed off on entrusting a flaky offensive line – the bedrock for that coordinator and running back – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Results

It's been a disaster. The previous year's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were scrappy and competitive. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive philosophy, the quarterback looks washed and the Raiders' blocking unit has undermined any aspirations for Ashton Jeanty and the ground attack. At the very least, Carroll was supposed to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, counting down the plays 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 league all-time mark, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is optimism around the impressive rookie class that includes two potential stars – 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 QB, but who is An Answer in the short-term.

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

Absence of Vision

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' first-year players represent promise. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises understand their situation in the ecosystem: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or rebuilding. Vegas began the season believing they were a couple of moves away from competitiveness. In spite of the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, they haven't pivoted midstream. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing rookies 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 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 Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have combined for nine catches in 11 games, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out grizzled vets on the defensive side over rookies in need of experience.

Unclear Future

What is the path forward? Will the coach return or the GM or Smith? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team function when its primary influencer participates sporadically, signs off major organizational decisions, and then vanishes on other projects?

It's going to be a challenge for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a division filled with consistently successful teams. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have clear trajectories. The New York Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. No core. No franchise QB. No identity. No strategic vision.

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

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