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Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a singular mission: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He achieved that dream. Now, in retirement, Brady has ventured into various endeavors. He serves as a broadcaster for Fox. He's involved in construction projects in Birmingham. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's expanding the NFL to the Middle East. He maintains a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's retirement activities appear either eclectic or aimless, depending on your viewpoint.

Side projects are understandable. But managing a NFL team is hardly a casual commitment. Alongside his other roles, Brady functions as the unofficial decision-maker for the Raiders, presently the least successful team in the NFL.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a QB making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offense averaged less than three yards per play before meaningless action in the final period. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a single-game high for any franchise this year. On the defensive side, Las Vegas allowed 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. At least Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this current situation was working in Dallas on the network coverage for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Collection of Questionable Decisions

To be fair to Brady, he has only been involved for a year guiding the team's football decisions, becoming a partial stakeholder of the organization in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last offseason, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those decisions have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless franchise in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't hire 74-year-old Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a Super Bowl and a NCAA title, to manage 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 facing the possibility of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Organizational Turmoil

This is not entirely Brady's responsibility, of course. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through coaches and front-office heads at a rate that would make even the New York Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a instability that has erased any coherent long-term vision. Still, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this version of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," NFL Insider a prominent journalist said last summer. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll said of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his opportunity to put his stamp on a team."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He appointed John Spytek, his former teammate and colleague in Tampa, to act as GM. He approved a roster plan to Carroll's preference, including dealing a third-round pick for Smith and drafting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier O-line. He lured Chip Kelly away from the college ranks, making him the top-earning OC in the NFL. And he approved entrusting a flaky offensive line – the bedrock for that coordinator and running back – to Carroll's son.

Disastrous Outcomes

It has become a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and competitive. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive scheme, the quarterback looks past his prime and the Raiders' blocking unit has undermined any hopes for their rookie and the ground attack. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were uninspired 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 NFL single-season record, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is positive outlook around the impressive first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at RB and a skilled defender at LB. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be the permanent solution at QB, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

Granted, it was facing the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not too big for him. With a full week to prepare, he was solid, taking what the opposition gave him and displaying flashes of creativity. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his debut game since 1995.

Absence of Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' rookie class symbolize promise. That's a reflection the Raiders don't want to look into. Successful franchises recognize their situation in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a frisky playoff team, or rebuilding. Vegas began the season believing they were a few adjustments away from respectability. Despite the clear indications to the contrary, they failed to adjust during the season. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing young players 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 coaches and the management regarding the lack of action for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the o-line being a weak point. First-year pass catchers two young talents have totaled nine receptions in eleven contests, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on defense over young players in need of reps.

Uncertain Future

What is the future direction? Will the coach return or the GM or the quarterback? And who truly decides those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise operate when its primary influencer logs in occasionally, signs off major organizational decisions, and then disappears on other projects?

It's going to be a challenge for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a division stacked with perennial playoff contenders. Meanwhile, other reconstructing teams have paths. The Jets are stocked with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have nothing. No core. No quarterback. No identity. No plan.

The only thing more problematic than being bad in the NFL is not knowing you're underperforming. The Raiders lack clarity on where they are, what they are building, or who will make decisions in the offseason.

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