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Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a singular objective: becoming the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He achieved that goal. Today, in retirement, Brady has explored numerous pursuits. He serves as a commentator for Fox. He's involved in construction projects in the UK. He has endorsed digital assets. He's expanding the NFL to the Middle East. He maintains a popular YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's post-career ventures appear either diverse or unfocused, depending on your viewpoint.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But overseeing a professional franchise is hardly a part-time job. Alongside his various responsibilities, Brady functions as the de facto football leader for the Las Vegas franchise, currently the most hapless team in the league.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on Sunday after enduring a 24-10 defeat to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were embarrassed by a underperforming team with a QB making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offense averaged 2.9 yards per play before garbage-time plays in the fourth quarter. Geno Smith was tackled 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a single-game high for any franchise this season. On defense, Las Vegas allowed big plays to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional for the majority of the campaign. However you analyze it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. Fortunately Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this current situation was sitting in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for another game.

A Series of Questionable Decisions

To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season guiding 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 each one has proven unsuccessful. Those decisions have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless franchise in the NFL.

This wasn't expected to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't hire veteran coach Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a championship and a NCAA title, to manage a long slog back up the league table. He was expected to return the team to relevance and then hand them off with a solid foundation in place. Instead, Carroll is facing the possibility of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Organizational Turmoil

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, of course. Mark Davis is still the majority owner. Davis has cycled through head coaches and executives at a speed that would make even the New York Jets feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a turnover rate that has erased any clear strategic direction. 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 commented last summer. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll said of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his opportunity to leave his mark on a team."

Brady was responsible for the crucial appointments and placed the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired John Spytek, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to serve as GM. He greenlit a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including dealing a draft selection for Geno Smith and selecting a running back No 6 overall despite having a poor-performing O-line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the top-earning OC in the league. And he signed off on entrusting a flaky 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 four-win team, but they were competitive and resilient. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive scheme, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' blocking unit has undermined any aspirations for their rookie and the ground attack. If nothing else, Carroll was supposed to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, counting down the snaps to the conclusion of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was pronounced. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Myles Garrett, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the league all-time mark, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is positive outlook around the impressive first-year players that includes two potential stars – a dynamic runner at running back and a skilled defender at LB. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be the permanent solution at quarterback, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was against the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not overwhelming for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was effective, taking what the opposition gave him and displaying glimpses of creativity. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his debut game since 1995.

Absence of Vision

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' rookie class represent promise. That's a reflection the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises understand their position in the league hierarchy: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or rebuilding. Vegas began the season thinking they were a couple of moves away from competitiveness. In spite of the overwhelming evidence otherwise, they failed to adjust midstream. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing rookies to find out what they have for the coming years. 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 young blockers, despite the offensive 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 roll out grizzled vets on defense over young players in need of experience.

Unclear Future

What is the path forward? Will Carroll be back or the GM or Smith? And who actually makes those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its primary influencer participates sporadically, signs off franchise-altering moves, and then vanishes on side quests?

It's going to be a challenge for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a division filled with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have clear trajectories. 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 quarterback. No identity. No strategic vision.

The single factor more dangerous than being ineffective in the NFL is not knowing you're underperforming. The Raiders lack clarity on 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.