🔗 Share this article

Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a singular objective: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He accomplished that dream. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has explored numerous endeavors. He serves as a broadcaster for Fox. He's engaged in construction projects in Birmingham. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's spreading American football to the Middle East. He maintains a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his family pet. Brady's post-career activities appear either diverse or aimless, based on your perspective.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But managing a NFL team is not a part-time job. Alongside his various responsibilities, Brady functions as the unofficial decision-maker for the Raiders, currently the most hapless team in the league.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a 24-10 defeat to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a QB making his professional debut. The Raiders' offense averaged 2.9 yards per play before meaningless plays in the final period. Their quarterback was tackled 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a single-game high for any franchise this season. On defense, Las Vegas allowed significant gains to a Cleveland offense that has been ineffective for the majority of the season. Any way you slice it, it was a thorough domination. At least Brady didn't have to watch. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was sitting in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for another game.

A Series of Dubious Decisions

To be fair to Brady, he has only been involved for a year guiding the team's football decisions, after becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise in 2024. But he was accountable for every major decision last summer, and all of them has proven unsuccessful. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the least entertaining and aimless franchise in the NFL.

This wasn't supposed to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't appoint veteran coach Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a Super Bowl and a NCAA title, to manage a protracted process back up the league table. He was supposed to return the team to relevance and then transition them with a solid foundation in place. Instead, Carroll is facing the prospect 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, naturally. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through coaches and front-office heads at a rate that would make even the New York Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a instability that has eliminated any coherent long-term vision. 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 deeply engaged," Carroll stated of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his opportunity to leave his mark on a team."

Brady made the key hires and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired a close associate, his college buddy and co-worker in Tampa, to serve as general manager. He approved a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including dealing a draft selection for Smith and drafting a RB No 6 overall despite having a poor-performing offensive line. He recruited Chip Kelly away from the college ranks, making him the top-earning OC in the league. And he approved entrusting a flaky offensive line – the bedrock for that coordinator and running back – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It has become a complete failure. The previous year's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and resilient. The current Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive philosophy, the quarterback looks washed and the Raiders' blocking unit has undermined any hopes for their rookie and the ground attack. If nothing else, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, waiting for the snaps 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 impressive rookie class that includes multiple promising talents – a dynamic runner at running back and Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be The Answer at quarterback, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was against 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 solid, taking what the defense gave him and showing flashes of improvisation. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start since 1995.

Absence of Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' first-year players represent future potential. That's a reflection the Raiders don't want to look into. Good organizations understand their situation in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a frisky playoff team, or rebuilding. Vegas began the season believing they were a couple of moves away from competitiveness. Despite the overwhelming evidence otherwise, they failed to adjust during the season. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing young players to find out what they have for the coming years. But only two first-year players 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 rookie offensive linemen, despite the o-line being a sieve. First-year pass catchers two young talents have combined for nine catches in 11 games, despite the ineffectiveness in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize experienced veterans on the defensive side over rookies in need of reps.

Uncertain Direction

What is the future direction? Will the coach return or the GM or Smith? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team function when its most powerful decision-maker logs in occasionally, approves franchise-altering moves, and then vanishes on other projects?

It will prove a challenge for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a division filled with perennial playoff contenders. Meanwhile, other rebuilders have paths. The Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No core. No quarterback. No distinctive style. No plan.

The only thing more problematic 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 summer.

Tom Brady once mastered football through ruthless focus. The Raiders could benefit from more than limited attention of it.