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Tom Brady dedicated over two decades to a unwavering objective: becoming the greatest quarterback in league history. He achieved that goal. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into numerous pursuits. He serves as a broadcaster for a major network. He's engaged in development ventures in Birmingham. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's expanding the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his family pet. Brady's retirement activities appear either eclectic or unfocused, based on your viewpoint.

Secondary ventures are one thing. But overseeing a professional franchise is not a casual commitment. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady also serves as the unofficial decision-maker for the Las Vegas franchise, presently the least successful team in the NFL.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on Sunday after enduring a 24-10 defeat to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were humiliated by a underperforming team with a QB making his professional debut. The Raiders' offense averaged 2.9 yards per play before garbage-time action in the final period. Geno Smith was tackled 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a season record for any franchise this year. On the defensive side, 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 watch. The architect of this current situation was working in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Collection of Questionable Choices

To be fair to Brady, he has only been involved for a year guiding the team's football decisions, becoming a minority owner of the organization in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last offseason, and all of them 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 lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't hire 74-year-old Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a Super Bowl and a NCAA title, to oversee a protracted process back up the league table. He was expected to restore the team to relevance and then transition them with a stable base in place. Instead, Carroll is staring at the possibility of being fired after one season 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 head coaches and executives at a rate 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 Brady's project," NFL Insider Tom Pelissero commented last summer. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll said of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his chance to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady made the key hires and set the Raiders on this directionless path. He hired John Spytek, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to serve as GM. He greenlit a roster plan to Carroll's preference, including trading a draft selection for Smith and selecting a RB No 6 overall despite having a poor-performing offensive line. He lured Chip Kelly away from the college ranks, making him the highest-paid OC in the NFL. And he signed off on entrusting a unreliable blocking unit – the bedrock for that coordinator and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.

Disastrous Results

It's been a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and resilient. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive philosophy, the quarterback looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has submarined any aspirations for Ashton Jeanty and the ground attack. If nothing else, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the end of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was pronounced. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. Their star defender, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the NFL 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 Carson Schwesinger at LB. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be the permanent solution at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the immediate future.

Admittedly, it was against the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders demonstrated 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 glimpses of creativity. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start since 1995.

Absence of Vision

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class symbolize promise. That's a mirror the Raiders don't want to look into. Good organizations understand their situation in the league hierarchy: you're either a championship candidate, a frisky playoff team, or rebuilding. Vegas began the season thinking they were a couple of moves away from respectability. Despite the overwhelming evidence otherwise, they haven't pivoted during the season. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be throwing out young players to discover what they have for the coming years. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been tension between the coaching staff and the management regarding the lack of action for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the offensive line being a sieve. First-year pass catchers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine receptions in eleven contests, despite the ineffectiveness in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize experienced veterans on defense over young players in need of experience.

Unclear Future

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

It's going to be a challenge for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a conference stacked with consistently successful teams. At the same time, other rebuilders have paths. The Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have nothing. No foundation. No quarterback. No identity. No strategic vision.

The only thing 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 building, or who will make decisions in the summer.

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