🔗 Share this article

Tom Brady dedicated over two decades to a unwavering objective: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He achieved that goal. Now, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into numerous pursuits. He serves as a broadcaster for a major network. He's engaged in construction projects in the UK. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's expanding the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his dog. Brady's post-career ventures appear either diverse or unfocused, depending on your perspective.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But overseeing a professional franchise is not a part-time job. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady also serves as the unofficial decision-maker for the Raiders, currently the most hapless team in the league.

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 embarrassed by a struggling team with a quarterback making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offense averaged less than three yards per play before garbage-time plays in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was tackled 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a single-game high for any franchise this season. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered big plays to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been ineffective for most of the campaign. Any way you slice it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. At least Brady didn't have to watch. The primary decision-maker of this current situation was working in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for another game.

A Series of Questionable Choices

To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's personnel choices, after becoming a minority owner of the organization in 2024. But he was accountable for every major decision last offseason, and each one has backfired. Those moves have left the Raiders as the least entertaining and aimless team in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't appoint 74-year-old Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a Super Bowl and a NCAA title, to oversee a long slog back up the league table. He was supposed to return the team to competitiveness and then hand them off with a solid foundation in place. Instead, Carroll is staring at the prospect of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Organizational Turmoil

This is not entirely Brady's responsibility, of course. Mark Davis is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has cycled through coaches and executives at a speed that would make even the Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a instability that has eliminated any clear strategic direction. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter Tom Pelissero said last offseason. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll said of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his chance to put his stamp on a team."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and placed the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired John Spytek, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to serve as GM. He approved a team strategy to Carroll's preference, including dealing a draft selection for Smith and selecting a RB No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He lured an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the top-earning offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he signed off on handing a unreliable blocking unit – the foundation for that coach and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.

Disastrous Outcomes

It's been a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and competitive. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive scheme, the quarterback looks past his prime and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any aspirations for their rookie and the run game. If nothing else, Carroll was expected to bring energy. 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 glimmers of optimism. Myles Garrett, now just five sacks away from the league single-season record, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – a dynamic runner at running back and Carson Schwesinger at LB. 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 too big for him. With a full week to get ready, he was effective, accepting what the opposition gave him and showing flashes of improvisation. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start since 1995.

Absence of Vision

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' rookie class symbolize future potential. That's a reflection the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises recognize their situation in the league hierarchy: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 believing they were a few adjustments away from respectability. In spite of the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, they haven't pivoted midstream. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing 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 disagreement between the coaches and the management regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the offensive line being a sieve. Rookie receivers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine catches in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out grizzled vets on defense over young players in need of reps.

Uncertain Direction

Where is the path forward? Will the coach return or the GM or Smith? And who actually makes those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise operate when its primary influencer logs in occasionally, approves major organizational decisions, and then vanishes on side quests?

It will prove a struggle for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a division filled with consistently successful teams. At the same time, other rebuilders have paths. The Jets are loaded with future draft picks. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No core. No franchise QB. No distinctive style. No strategic vision.

The only thing more dangerous than being ineffective in the NFL is not knowing you're bad. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are developing, or who will make decisions in the summer.

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