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Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a singular mission: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in league history. He accomplished that goal. Now, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into numerous endeavors. He serves as a broadcaster for a major network. He's involved in development ventures in the UK. He has promoted digital assets. He's spreading the NFL to the Middle East. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's retirement ventures appear either diverse or unfocused, depending on your perspective.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But overseeing a NFL team is hardly a casual commitment. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady also serves as the de facto decision-maker for the Raiders, presently the least successful team in the NFL.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a decisive loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were embarrassed by a struggling team with a quarterback making his professional debut. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged 2.9 yards per play before garbage-time action in the final period. Geno Smith was sacked 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a single-game high for any team this season. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered big plays to a Cleveland offense that has been ineffective for most of the season. However you analyze it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. At least Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was sitting in Dallas on the network coverage for another game.

A Series of Dubious Choices

To be fair to Brady, he has only been involved for a year guiding the team's football decisions, becoming a partial stakeholder of the organization in 2024. But he was accountable for every major decision last summer, and each one has backfired. Those decisions have resulted in the Raiders as the least entertaining and aimless team in the league.

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 NCAA title, to oversee a long slog back up the league table. He was expected to return the team to competitiveness and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Conversely, Carroll is facing the possibility of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Franchise Turmoil

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, of course. Mark Davis 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 erased any clear strategic direction. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence that are all over this version of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter Tom Pelissero commented last offseason. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll stated of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his opportunity to put his stamp on a franchise."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and placed the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed John Spytek, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to serve as GM. He approved a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including dealing a draft selection for Smith and selecting a RB No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier 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 handing a flaky offensive line – the foundation for that coordinator and running back – to the coach's family member.

Disastrous Outcomes

It has become a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and competitive. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive philosophy, the quarterback looks washed and the Raiders' blocking unit has submarined any aspirations for Ashton Jeanty and the ground attack. If nothing else, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, counting down the snaps to the conclusion of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was stark. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Their star defender, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the NFL single-season record, leads a formidable defense. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking first-year players that includes two potential stars – Quinshon Judkins at running back and Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be The Answer at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the immediate future.

Granted, it was facing the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders demonstrated that the stage was not too big for him. With a full week to prepare, he was solid, taking what the opposition gave him and showing glimpses of improvisation. 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 reflection the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises recognize their position in the league hierarchy: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas began the season believing they were a couple of moves away from competitiveness. Despite the clear indications to the contrary, they failed to adjust during the season. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing young players to find out what they have for the future. But only two first-year players have seen significant action. There has reportedly already been tension between the coaches and the front office regarding the lack of action for two young blockers, despite the offensive line being a weak point. Rookie receivers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have combined for nine receptions in eleven contests, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on defense over young players in need of experience.

Uncertain Future

What is the future direction? Will the coach return or Spytek or Smith? And who truly decides those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise operate when its primary influencer logs in occasionally, approves franchise-altering moves, and then vanishes on other projects?

It will prove a struggle for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a division stacked with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other rebuilders have paths. The New York Jets are stocked with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have nothing. No foundation. No franchise QB. No identity. No plan.

The only thing more problematic than being ineffective in the NFL is not knowing you're bad. The Raiders lack clarity on where they are, what they are developing, or who will make decisions in the summer.

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