🔗 Share this article

Tom Brady committed over two decades to a unwavering objective: becoming the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He achieved that dream. Today, in retirement, Brady has explored numerous endeavors. He serves as a commentator for Fox. He's engaged in construction projects in the UK. He has endorsed cryptocurrency. He's spreading the NFL to the Middle East. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his family pet. Brady's retirement ventures appear either eclectic or aimless, depending on your perspective.

Side projects are understandable. But overseeing a professional franchise is not a part-time job. In addition to his other roles, Brady also serves as the de facto decision-maker for the Raiders, presently the most hapless team in the league.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on this past weekend after suffering a 24-10 defeat 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' offense averaged 2.9 yards per play before meaningless plays in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was tackled 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a season record 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 campaign. However you analyze it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this current situation was working in Dallas on the network coverage for another game.

A Collection of Questionable Choices

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 summer, and all of them has backfired. Those moves have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless franchise in the league.

This wasn't expected to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't hire veteran coach Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a championship and a NCAA title, to oversee a protracted process back up the standings. He was expected to restore the team to relevance and then transition them 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 restart.

Franchise Turmoil

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. Mark Davis is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has cycled through head coaches and executives at a speed that would make even the Jets feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a instability that has erased any coherent long-term vision. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," NFL Insider Tom Pelissero said last offseason. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll said of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his chance to put his stamp on a team."

Brady was responsible for the crucial appointments and placed the Raiders on this directionless path. He hired a close associate, his college buddy and co-worker in Tampa, to act as GM. He greenlit a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including trading a third-round pick for Smith and selecting a RB No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier O-line. He lured an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the top-earning OC in the NFL. And he signed off on handing a unreliable offensive line – the foundation for that coach and running back – to the coach's family member.

Disastrous Outcomes

It has become a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and competitive. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive philosophy, the quarterback looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has submarined any hopes for their rookie and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was supposed to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the conclusion of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was stark. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. Myles Garrett, now just five sacks away from the NFL single-season record, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking first-year players that includes two potential stars – Quinshon Judkins at RB and Carson Schwesinger at LB. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be The Answer at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the immediate future.

Admittedly, it was facing the Raiders' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not overwhelming for him. With a full week to prepare, he was effective, accepting what the defense gave him and displaying flashes of creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class symbolize future potential. That's a mirror the Raiders don't want to look into. Good organizations understand their position in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, 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 midstream. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing rookies to discover what they have for the future. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has apparently already been tension between the coaches and the management regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the offensive line being a weak point. Rookie receivers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine receptions in 11 games, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out experienced veterans on the defensive side over rookies in need of experience.

Unclear Future

Where is the path forward? Will the coach return or Spytek or the quarterback? And who actually makes those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its primary influencer logs in occasionally, approves franchise-altering moves, and then vanishes on other projects?

It will prove a challenge for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a conference filled with perennial playoff contenders. Meanwhile, other rebuilders have clear trajectories. The New York Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Tennessee and New York have talented young QBs. The Raiders have nothing. No core. No franchise QB. No distinctive style. No strategic vision.

The only thing more problematic than being bad in the NFL is not knowing 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 mastered football through ruthless focus. The Raiders could benefit from more than an hour of it.