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Tom Brady dedicated over two decades to a unwavering mission: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in league history. He achieved that dream. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into various endeavors. He serves as a broadcaster for a major network. He's engaged in construction projects in Birmingham. He has promoted digital assets. He's expanding the NFL to the Middle East. He maintains a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his family pet. Brady's post-career activities appear either diverse or aimless, based on your viewpoint.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But overseeing a professional franchise is not a part-time job. Alongside his other roles, Brady also serves as the unofficial decision-maker for the Raiders, presently 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 Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were embarrassed by a underperforming team with a quarterback making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offense averaged 2.9 yards per play before garbage-time action in the final period. Geno Smith was tackled 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a season record for any team this year. On defense, Las Vegas surrendered significant gains to a Cleveland offense that has been dysfunctional for most of the season. Any way you slice it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. Fortunately Brady didn't have to watch. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was working in Dallas on the network coverage for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Collection of Dubious Choices

In fairness to Brady, he has only been involved for a year guiding the team's personnel choices, after becoming a partial stakeholder of the organization in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last summer, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those decisions have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless team in the NFL.

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

Franchise Turmoil

This is not entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has cycled through coaches and executives at a speed that would make even the Jets blush. 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 influence that are all over this version of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," league reporter a prominent journalist said last offseason. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll said of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his chance to put his stamp on a team."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He appointed a close associate, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to serve as GM. He greenlit a team strategy to Carroll's preference, including dealing a draft selection for Geno Smith and selecting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he signed off on entrusting a unreliable offensive line – the foundation for that coach and running back – to the coach's family member.

Disastrous Results

It has become a complete failure. The previous year's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were scrappy and resilient. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an old-fashioned defensive scheme, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any aspirations for Ashton Jeanty and the ground attack. If nothing else, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, counting down the snaps to the end of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was pronounced. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. Myles Garrett, now just five sacks away from the league single-season record, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking rookie class that includes multiple promising talents – a dynamic runner at RB and Carson Schwesinger at LB. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be the permanent solution at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the short-term.

Granted, it was facing the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders showed that the stage was not too big for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was effective, taking what the opposition gave him and showing glimpses of improvisation. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut game since 1995.

Absence of Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' rookie class symbolize future potential. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Good organizations recognize their position in the league hierarchy: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or rebuilding. Vegas began the season thinking they were a few adjustments away from respectability. In spite of the clear indications to the contrary, they haven't pivoted midstream. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be throwing out rookies to find out what they have for the future. But only two rookies have seen significant action. There has apparently already been disagreement between the coaches and the front office regarding the lack of action for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a weak point. First-year pass catchers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine receptions in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out experienced veterans on defense over young players in need of experience.

Unclear Future

What is the future direction? Will Carroll be back or Spytek or Smith? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its primary influencer participates sporadically, 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 perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have clear trajectories. The Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Tennessee and New York have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No franchise QB. No distinctive style. No plan.

The only thing more problematic than being bad in the NFL is not knowing you're bad. The Raiders lack clarity on where they are, what they are developing, or who will call the shots in the summer.

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