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Tom Brady committed over two decades to a unwavering objective: becoming the greatest quarterback in league history. He accomplished that dream. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has explored numerous pursuits. He works as a commentator for a major network. He's involved in development ventures in Birmingham. He has endorsed cryptocurrency. He's expanding American football to Saudi Arabia. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's post-career ventures appear either eclectic or unfocused, based on your perspective.

Side projects are understandable. But overseeing a NFL team is hardly a casual commitment. In addition to his other roles, Brady functions as the unofficial football leader for the Raiders, presently the least successful team in the league.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on this past weekend after suffering a decisive loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a QB making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged less than three yards per play before garbage-time plays in the fourth quarter. Geno Smith was tackled 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a season record for any franchise this season. On the defensive side, Las Vegas allowed significant gains to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional for the majority of the campaign. However you analyze it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. At least Brady didn't have to watch. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was working in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Series of Questionable Decisions

To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's football decisions, becoming a minority owner of the franchise in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last offseason, and each one has backfired. Those decisions have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless team in the NFL.

This wasn't supposed to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't hire veteran coach 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 standings. He was supposed to restore the team to competitiveness and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Instead, Carroll is facing the possibility of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Franchise Dysfunction

This is not entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through head coaches and front-office heads at a rate 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 coherent long-term vision. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this version of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter a prominent journalist said last summer. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll said of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his chance to put his stamp on a franchise."

Brady made the key hires and placed the Raiders on this directionless path. He hired a close associate, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to act as GM. He approved a roster plan to Carroll's preference, including dealing a third-round pick for Geno Smith and selecting a RB No 6 overall despite having a poor-performing offensive line. He lured Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the top-earning OC in the NFL. And he signed off on entrusting a flaky offensive line – the bedrock for that coordinator and running back – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Results

It has become a complete failure. The previous year's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and resilient. This year's Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has implemented an old-fashioned defensive scheme, the quarterback looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any aspirations for Ashton Jeanty and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the end 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 quarterback takedowns away from the league single-season record, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is positive outlook around the impressive rookie class that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at running back and a skilled defender at linebacker. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be The Answer at quarterback, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

Granted, it was against the Raiders' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not too big for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was effective, accepting what the opposition gave him and showing flashes of creativity. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start since 1995.

Absence of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' first-year players symbolize promise. That's a reflection the Raiders don't want to look into. Successful franchises understand their position in the league hierarchy: you're either a contender, a competitive squad, or rebuilding. Vegas began the season believing they were a few adjustments away from competitiveness. Despite the overwhelming evidence otherwise, they haven't pivoted midstream. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing rookies to discover what they have for the future. But only two first-year players have seen significant action. There has apparently already been disagreement between the coaching staff and the front office regarding the limited playing time for two rookie offensive linemen, 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 lack of spark in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out experienced veterans on the defensive side over rookies in need of reps.

Unclear Direction

What is the path forward? Will Carroll be back or the GM or Smith? And who truly decides those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its most powerful decision-maker logs in occasionally, approves franchise-altering moves, and then disappears on other projects?

It will prove a struggle for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a division filled with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other rebuilders have paths. The Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Tennessee and New York have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No core. No quarterback. No identity. No strategic vision.

The single factor more dangerous than being bad in the NFL is not knowing you're bad. The Raiders lack clarity on where they are, what they are developing, or who will call the shots in the summer.

Tom Brady once excelled at football through ruthless focus. The Raiders could benefit from more than an hour of it.