Tom Brady dedicated over two decades to a singular objective: becoming the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He accomplished that dream. Today, in retirement, Brady has explored numerous endeavors. He works as a commentator for Fox. He's engaged 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 even cloned his dog. Brady's retirement activities appear either eclectic or unfocused, depending on your perspective.
Side projects are one thing. But overseeing a NFL team is hardly a part-time job. Alongside his various responsibilities, Brady functions as the unofficial decision-maker for the Raiders, presently the least successful team in the NFL.
The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on this past weekend after enduring a decisive loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were embarrassed by a struggling team with a quarterback making his professional debut. The Raiders' offense averaged 2.9 yards per play before garbage-time plays in the fourth quarter. Geno Smith was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a single-game high for any team this year. On defense, Las Vegas surrendered significant gains to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional for the majority of the season. Any way you slice it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to witness it. The primary decision-maker of this latest Vegas mess was sitting in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for another game.
A Collection of Dubious Choices
In fairness to Brady, he has only been involved for a year leading the team's football decisions, after 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 aimless team in the NFL.
This wasn't supposed to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't appoint veteran coach Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a Super Bowl and a college national championship, to oversee a long slog back up the league table. He was supposed to restore the team to relevance and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Conversely, Carroll is staring at 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. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through head coaches and executives at a speed that would make even the New York Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a instability that has erased any coherent long-term vision. Still, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this version of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," league reporter a prominent journalist said 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 franchise."
Brady made the crucial appointments and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired John Spytek, his college buddy and co-worker in Tampa, to act as GM. He approved a roster plan to Carroll's preference, including trading a third-round pick for Smith and drafting a RB No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the top-earning offensive coordinator in the league. And he approved entrusting a flaky offensive line – the bedrock for that coach and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.
Catastrophic Outcomes
It has become a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and competitive. The current Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive scheme, the quarterback looks past his prime and the Raiders' offensive line has submarined any aspirations for Ashton Jeanty and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring energy. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, counting down the plays to the conclusion of the game.
The contrast with Cleveland was pronounced. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Their star defender, now just five sacks away from the league all-time mark, leads a formidable defense. And there is positive outlook around the stellar-looking first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at RB and Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be The Answer at QB, but who is An Answer in the immediate future.
Admittedly, it was facing the Raiders' defense, but Sanders showed that the stage was not too big for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was effective, accepting what the defense gave him and displaying glimpses of improvisation. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start 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. Successful franchises understand their position in the league hierarchy: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a couple of moves away from competitiveness. In spite of the clear indications otherwise, they haven't pivoted during the season. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing rookies to discover what they have for the coming years. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been disagreement between the coaches and the front office regarding the lack of action for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a sieve. Rookie receivers two young talents have combined for nine catches in eleven contests, despite the ineffectiveness in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize experienced veterans on the defensive side over rookies in need of reps.
Unclear Future
What is the future direction? Will Carroll be back or Spytek or Smith? And who truly decides those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise operate when its most powerful decision-maker participates sporadically, approves major organizational decisions, and then disappears on side quests?
It will prove a struggle for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a division stacked with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have clear trajectories. The Jets are stocked with upcoming selections. The Tennessee and New York have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. No core. No quarterback. No distinctive style. No strategic vision.
The single factor more problematic 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 call the shots in the offseason.
Tom Brady once excelled at football through intense dedication. The Raiders could benefit from more than limited attention of it.
