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Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a singular mission: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in league history. He accomplished that dream. 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 construction projects in the UK. He has endorsed cryptocurrency. He's spreading American football to Saudi Arabia. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's post-career ventures appear either diverse or aimless, depending on your perspective.

Secondary ventures are one thing. But overseeing a NFL team is hardly a part-time job. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady also serves as the unofficial decision-maker for the Raiders, presently the most hapless team in the NFL.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on this past weekend 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 QB making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged less than three yards per play before garbage-time plays in the final period. Geno Smith was tackled 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a season record for any franchise this year. On defense, Las Vegas allowed big plays to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional for most of the season. However you analyze it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. At least 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 Eagles-Cowboys.

A Collection of Dubious Choices

In fairness to Brady, he has only spent one season guiding the team's personnel choices, becoming a partial stakeholder of the organization in 2024. But he was accountable for every major decision last offseason, 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 multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't hire veteran coach Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a championship and a NCAA title, to oversee a long slog back up the league table. He was supposed to restore the team to competitiveness and then transition them with a stable base in place. Conversely, Carroll is staring at the possibility of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Franchise Turmoil

This is not entirely Brady's responsibility, of course. The majority owner is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has cycled through coaches and front-office heads at a speed that would make even the New York Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a instability that has eliminated any coherent long-term vision. Still, it's Brady's fingerprints that are all over this version of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," NFL Insider a prominent journalist said last summer. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll said of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his opportunity to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady made the key hires and placed the Raiders on this rudderless course. He appointed a close associate, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to act as GM. He approved a roster plan to Carroll's preference, including dealing a draft selection for Geno Smith and drafting a running back with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier O-line. He lured Chip Kelly away from the college ranks, making him the top-earning offensive coordinator in the league. And he approved handing a flaky offensive line – the foundation for that coach and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.

Disastrous Results

It's been a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and competitive. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive scheme, the quarterback looks washed and the Raiders' blocking unit has undermined any aspirations for Ashton Jeanty and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the conclusion of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was stark. 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 dominant defensive unit. And there is positive outlook around the impressive first-year players that includes two potential stars – a dynamic runner at RB and Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be the permanent solution at quarterback, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was facing the Raiders' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not too big for him. With a full week to get ready, he was solid, accepting what the opposition gave him and showing flashes of improvisation. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start since 1995.

Lack of Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' rookie class represent promise. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises recognize their position in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas began the season believing they were a few adjustments away from competitiveness. Despite the clear indications to the contrary, they failed to adjust midstream. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be throwing out young players to discover what they have for the future. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been disagreement between the coaches and the management regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the offensive line being a weak point. Rookie receivers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine catches in 11 games, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on the defensive side over rookies in need of experience.

Uncertain Direction

What is the path forward? Will Carroll be back or Spytek or Smith? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its most powerful decision-maker logs in occasionally, approves major organizational decisions, and then vanishes on side quests?

It will prove a struggle for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a division filled with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other rebuilders have paths. The New York Jets are loaded with future draft picks. The Titans and Giants have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. No core. No franchise QB. No distinctive style. No strategic vision.

The only thing more dangerous than being ineffective in the NFL is not recognizing you're underperforming. The Raiders lack clarity on where they are, what they are developing, or who will call the shots in the offseason.

Tom Brady once mastered football through intense dedication. The Raiders could use more than limited attention of it.