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Tom Brady committed over two decades to a singular objective: becoming the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He achieved that goal. Today, in retirement, Brady has ventured into various pursuits. He serves as a broadcaster for Fox. He's engaged in construction projects in Birmingham. He has endorsed digital assets. He's spreading the NFL to the Middle East. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's retirement ventures appear either diverse or unfocused, based on your perspective.

Side projects are understandable. But overseeing a professional franchise is hardly a part-time job. Alongside his various responsibilities, Brady functions as the de facto decision-maker for the Las Vegas franchise, currently the least successful team in the NFL.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on this past weekend after suffering a decisive loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a QB making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offense averaged 2.9 yards per play before meaningless action in the final period. Geno Smith was tackled 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a single-game high for any franchise this season. On defense, Las Vegas surrendered significant gains to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional for the majority of the season. However you analyze it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this current situation was working in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for another game.

A Series of Dubious Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only been involved for a year guiding the team's personnel choices, becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last offseason, and all of them has backfired. Those decisions have left the Raiders as the least entertaining and directionless team in the NFL.

This wasn't expected to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't appoint 74-year-old Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a Super Bowl and a college national championship, to manage a long slog back up the league table. He was supposed to return the team to relevance and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Conversely, Carroll is facing the prospect of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Franchise Dysfunction

This is not all Brady's fault, of course. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has cycled through head coaches and executives at a rate that would make even the Jets feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a instability that has erased any coherent long-term vision. Still, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter Tom Pelissero said last summer. "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 made the crucial appointments and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He appointed John Spytek, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to serve as general manager. He approved a team strategy to the coach's specifications, including dealing a third-round pick for Geno Smith and selecting a running back with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He lured an offensive innovator away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he signed off on handing a unreliable blocking unit – the bedrock for that coach and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It's been a disaster. The previous year's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and competitive. The current Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has implemented an old-fashioned defensive scheme, the quarterback looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has submarined any hopes for their rookie and the ground attack. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, counting down the plays to the conclusion of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was pronounced. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Myles Garrett, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the league single-season record, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is positive outlook around the impressive first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at running back and a skilled defender at linebacker. There is also the rookie QB, 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 NFL level was not too big for him. With a full week to get ready, he was effective, taking what the defense gave him and showing flashes of improvisation. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his debut game since 1995.

Absence of Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' rookie class symbolize 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 frisky playoff team, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas began the season thinking they were a couple of moves away from competitiveness. In spite of the clear indications to the contrary, they haven't pivoted midstream. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing young players to discover what they have for the coming years. But only two first-year players have seen significant action. There has apparently 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. Rookie receivers two young talents have combined for nine catches in eleven contests, despite the ineffectiveness in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on defense over rookies in need of reps.

Uncertain Future

Where is the future direction? Will the coach return or the GM or Smith? And who truly decides those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its most powerful decision-maker logs in occasionally, signs off major organizational decisions, and then disappears 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 reconstructing teams have paths. The Jets are stocked with upcoming selections. The Tennessee and New York have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No franchise QB. No distinctive style. No strategic vision.

The single factor more dangerous than being ineffective in the NFL is not knowing you're underperforming. 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 intense dedication. The Raiders could benefit from more than limited attention of it.