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Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a singular objective: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He achieved that dream. Today, in retirement, Brady has ventured into various pursuits. He serves as a commentator for a major network. He's engaged in development ventures in the UK. He has endorsed digital assets. He's expanding American football to the Middle East. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his family pet. Brady's retirement ventures appear either diverse or unfocused, depending on your perspective.

Side projects are one thing. But overseeing a professional franchise is not a part-time job. Alongside his other roles, Brady also serves as the de facto football leader for the Las Vegas franchise, currently the most hapless team in the NFL.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on this past weekend after suffering a decisive loss 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' offensive unit averaged 2.9 yards per play before garbage-time plays in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a season record for any team this year. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered significant gains to a Cleveland offense that has been ineffective 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 Fox broadcast for another game.

A Series of Dubious Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only spent one season 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 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 appoint 74-year-old Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a Super Bowl and a college national championship, to oversee a long slog back up the league table. He was supposed to restore the team to competitiveness and then transition them with a solid foundation in place. Instead, Carroll is staring at the possibility of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Organizational Dysfunction

This is not entirely Brady's responsibility, of course. The majority owner is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has cycled 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 GM in 15 years, a turnover rate that has erased any clear strategic direction. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this version of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," league reporter Tom Pelissero said last summer. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll said of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his chance to put his stamp on a franchise."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He appointed a close associate, his college buddy and co-worker in Tampa, to act as GM. He greenlit a team strategy to the coach's specifications, including dealing a third-round pick for Smith and selecting a running back with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He lured Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the top-earning offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he approved handing a unreliable blocking unit – the foundation for that coach and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.

Disastrous Outcomes

It has become a disaster. The previous year's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and resilient. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an old-fashioned defensive scheme, the quarterback looks washed 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 energy. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, counting down the plays to the conclusion of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was stark. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Their star defender, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the league single-season record, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is positive outlook around the stellar-looking rookie class that includes two potential stars – a dynamic runner at running back and Carson Schwesinger 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 showed that the stage 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 creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his first start since 1995.

Lack of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class represent future potential. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Good organizations understand their situation in the league hierarchy: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or rebuilding. Vegas began the season thinking they were a few adjustments away from respectability. Despite the overwhelming evidence otherwise, they failed to adjust midstream. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing young players 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 management regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a weak point. First-year pass catchers two young talents have totaled nine catches in 11 games, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out grizzled vets on the defensive side over rookies in need of reps.

Uncertain Direction

What is the future direction? Will the coach return or Spytek or the quarterback? And who actually makes those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise function when its most powerful decision-maker logs in occasionally, signs off franchise-altering moves, and then vanishes on other projects?

It's going to be a struggle for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a conference stacked with perennial playoff contenders. Meanwhile, other reconstructing teams have paths. The Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Tennessee and New York have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No franchise QB. No identity. No strategic vision.

The single factor 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 building, or who will call the shots in the summer.

Tom Brady once excelled at football through intense dedication. The Raiders could benefit from more than limited attention of it.