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Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering mission: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in league history. He accomplished that goal. Today, in retirement, Brady has explored various endeavors. He serves as a commentator for Fox. He's involved in construction projects in the UK. He has endorsed cryptocurrency. He's spreading American football to Saudi Arabia. He maintains a popular YouTube channel. He replicated his dog. Brady's post-career activities appear either diverse or aimless, depending on your viewpoint.

Secondary ventures are one thing. But managing a NFL team is hardly a casual commitment. Alongside his other roles, Brady functions as the unofficial football leader for the Las Vegas franchise, presently the least successful team in the NFL.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on this past weekend after suffering a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were humiliated by a underperforming team with a QB making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offense averaged less than three yards per play before meaningless action in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a single-game high for any franchise this year. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered big plays to a Cleveland offense that has been dysfunctional for the majority of the season. Any way you slice it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. At least Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this current situation was sitting in Dallas on the network coverage for another game.

A Series of Questionable Choices

In fairness to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's personnel choices, becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise in 2024. But he was responsible for every significant move last summer, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those decisions 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, one of only three coaches to win both a championship and a NCAA title, to oversee a protracted process back up the standings. He was expected to restore the team to competitiveness and then transition them with a solid foundation in place. Conversely, Carroll is staring at the prospect of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Organizational Dysfunction

This isn't all Brady's fault, naturally. 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 general manager in 15 years, a instability that has erased any clear strategic direction. Nevertheless, it's Brady's fingerprints that are all over this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," NFL Insider a prominent journalist commented last summer. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll stated of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his opportunity to leave his mark on a team."

Brady was responsible for the crucial appointments and set the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed John Spytek, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to act as GM. He greenlit a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including trading a draft selection for Smith and selecting a running back No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He lured an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the league. And he approved handing a flaky blocking unit – the bedrock for that coordinator and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.

Disastrous Outcomes

It's been a complete failure. The previous year's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were scrappy and resilient. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive scheme, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' blocking unit has undermined any aspirations for their rookie and the ground attack. If nothing else, Carroll was expected to bring energy. 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 glimmers of optimism. Myles Garrett, now just five sacks away from the NFL all-time mark, leads a formidable defense. And there is positive outlook around the impressive rookie class that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at RB and a skilled defender at LB. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be the permanent solution at QB, but who is a viable option in the immediate future.

Granted, it was against the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders showed that the stage was not too big for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was effective, taking what the opposition gave him and displaying flashes of creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Vision

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class represent future potential. That's a reflection the Raiders should avoid. Good organizations recognize their situation in the league hierarchy: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or rebuilding. Vegas began the season believing they were a couple of moves away from competitiveness. In spite of the clear indications to the contrary, they haven't pivoted during the season. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be throwing out rookies to find out what they have for the future. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been tension between the coaches and the management regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the offensive line being a sieve. Rookie receivers two young talents have totaled nine catches in eleven contests, despite the ineffectiveness in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on the defensive side over young players in need of reps.

Unclear Direction

What is the future direction? Will the coach return or the GM or Smith? And who actually makes those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise function when its primary influencer participates sporadically, approves franchise-altering moves, and then vanishes on side quests?

It's going to be a struggle for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a division stacked with consistently successful teams. Meanwhile, other reconstructing teams have clear trajectories. The Jets are stocked with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have nothing. No foundation. No franchise QB. No distinctive style. No strategic vision.

The single factor more dangerous than being bad 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 excelled at football through ruthless focus. The Raiders could use more than limited attention of it.