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Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering objective: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in league history. He accomplished that goal. Now, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into various endeavors. He works as a broadcaster for Fox. He's involved in development ventures in the UK. He has promoted digital assets. He's spreading the NFL to the Middle East. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his family pet. Brady's post-career ventures appear either eclectic or unfocused, depending on your viewpoint.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But overseeing a NFL team is not a part-time job. Alongside his other roles, Brady functions as the unofficial football leader for the Raiders, presently the most hapless team in the league.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a 24-10 defeat to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a quarterback making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged less than three yards per play before garbage-time plays in the fourth quarter. Geno Smith was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a single-game high for any team this season. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered significant gains to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional for the majority of the season. Any way you slice it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was sitting in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Collection of Questionable Decisions

To be fair 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 responsible for every major decision last summer, and all of them has backfired. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless team in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't hire 74-year-old Pete Carroll, among a select group 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 transition them with a solid foundation in place. Conversely, Carroll is facing the prospect of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Franchise Dysfunction

This is not all Brady's fault, naturally. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has cycled through coaches and executives at a rate that would make even the New York Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a instability that has eliminated 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 offseason. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll said of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his chance to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and placed the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired a close associate, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to serve as general manager. He approved a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including trading a draft selection for Geno Smith and drafting a RB No 6 overall despite having a poor-performing offensive line. He lured an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the highest-paid OC in the league. And he approved entrusting a unreliable blocking unit – the foundation for that coordinator and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Results

It's been a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were scrappy and resilient. The current Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has implemented an old-fashioned defensive philosophy, the quarterback looks past his prime and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty and the ground attack. If nothing else, Carroll was expected to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, waiting for the plays to the conclusion of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was pronounced. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Their star defender, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the NFL single-season record, leads a formidable defense. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking rookie class that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at RB and Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be The Answer at QB, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was facing the Raiders' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not overwhelming for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was solid, taking what the defense gave him and displaying glimpses of improvisation. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Vision

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class symbolize future potential. That's a reflection the Raiders don't want to look into. Successful franchises understand their situation in the league hierarchy: you're either a championship candidate, a frisky playoff team, or undergoing reconstruction. 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 discover what they have for the coming years. But only two first-year players have seen real playing time. There has apparently already been tension between the coaches 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 totaled nine catches in eleven contests, despite the ineffectiveness in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on defense over young players in need of experience.

Uncertain Future

Where is the future direction? Will the coach return or the GM or the quarterback? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise operate when its primary influencer participates sporadically, signs off major organizational decisions, and then vanishes on other projects?

It's going to be a struggle for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a division filled with consistently successful teams. Meanwhile, other reconstructing teams have paths. The Jets are stocked with future draft picks. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have nothing. No foundation. No franchise QB. No distinctive style. No plan.

The only thing more problematic than being ineffective 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 summer.

Tom Brady once excelled at football through ruthless focus. The Raiders could use more than limited attention of it.