🔗 Share this article

Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a singular mission: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He accomplished that dream. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into numerous pursuits. He serves as a commentator for a major network. He's involved in construction projects in the UK. He has promoted digital assets. He's expanding American football to Saudi Arabia. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his dog. Brady's post-career activities appear either eclectic or aimless, based on your viewpoint.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But managing a professional franchise is hardly a casual commitment. 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 fell to 2–9 on this past weekend after suffering a decisive loss to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were embarrassed by a underperforming team with a QB making his professional debut. The Raiders' offense averaged less than three yards per play before meaningless plays in the fourth quarter. Geno Smith was tackled 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a season record for any franchise this year. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered significant gains to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been ineffective for most of the campaign. However you analyze it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to watch. The architect of this current situation was sitting in Dallas on the network coverage for another game.

A Collection of Dubious Choices

To be fair to Brady, he has only been involved for a year leading the team's football decisions, after becoming a minority owner of the organization in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last summer, and each one has backfired. Those moves have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless franchise in the NFL.

This wasn't supposed to be a multi-year rebuild. 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 oversee a protracted process back up the league table. He was expected to return the team to competitiveness and then transition them with a solid foundation in place. Conversely, Carroll is facing the prospect of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Franchise Turmoil

This is not entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. Mark Davis is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has churned through head coaches and executives at a speed that would make even the Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a instability that has eliminated any coherent long-term vision. Still, it's Brady's influence that are all over this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," league reporter Tom Pelissero commented last offseason. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll said of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his opportunity to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired a close associate, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to serve as general manager. He greenlit a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including trading a draft selection for Geno Smith and selecting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He recruited Chip Kelly away from the college ranks, making him the top-earning OC in the league. And he signed off on handing a flaky blocking unit – the foundation for that coordinator and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Results

It has become a complete failure. The previous year's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and competitive. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an old-fashioned defensive scheme, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the end of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was stark. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Myles Garrett, now just five sacks away from the league single-season record, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is positive outlook around the stellar-looking first-year players that includes two potential stars – Quinshon Judkins at RB and Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be the permanent solution at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the immediate future.

Granted, it was facing the Raiders' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not too big for him. With a complete preparation period to prepare, he was solid, taking what the opposition gave him and displaying glimpses of improvisation. 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 mirror the Raiders don't want to look into. Successful franchises recognize their situation in the ecosystem: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or rebuilding. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a couple of moves away from competitiveness. Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, they failed to adjust midstream. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be throwing out young players to discover what they have for the future. But only two first-year players have seen significant action. There has reportedly already been tension between the coaching staff and the front office regarding the lack of action for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the o-line being a sieve. Rookie receivers two young talents have totaled nine catches in 11 games, despite the ineffectiveness in the passing game. Carroll continues to roll out experienced veterans on defense over rookies in need of reps.

Unclear Direction

Where is the path forward? Will Carroll be back or Spytek or Smith? And who actually makes those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its most powerful decision-maker logs in occasionally, signs off major organizational decisions, and then disappears on other projects?

It will prove a struggle for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a conference filled with consistently successful teams. Meanwhile, other reconstructing teams have paths. The New York Jets are loaded with future draft picks. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No franchise QB. No identity. No strategic vision.

The only thing more problematic than being ineffective in the NFL is not knowing you're bad. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are building, 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.