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Tom Brady committed over two decades to a unwavering mission: becoming the most accomplished QB in league history. He achieved that dream. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into various pursuits. He works as a broadcaster for Fox. He's involved in development ventures in the UK. He has promoted digital assets. He's expanding the NFL to the Middle East. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He replicated his dog. Brady's post-career activities appear either diverse or unfocused, based on your viewpoint.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But managing a NFL team is hardly a casual commitment. In addition to his other roles, Brady functions as the de facto football leader for the Las Vegas franchise, presently the most hapless team in the NFL.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a QB making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged less than three yards per play before meaningless plays in the fourth quarter. Geno Smith was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a single-game high for any team this season. On defense, Las Vegas surrendered big plays to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional for most of the campaign. However you analyze it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to witness it. The primary decision-maker of this current situation was working in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for another game.

A Collection of Questionable Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only been involved for a year leading 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 moves have resulted in the Raiders as the least entertaining and directionless franchise in the league.

This wasn't expected to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't appoint veteran coach Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a championship and a NCAA title, to oversee a protracted process back up the league table. He was expected to restore the team to relevance 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 reboot.

Franchise Dysfunction

This isn't all Brady's fault, of course. Mark Davis is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has churned through coaches and front-office heads at a rate that would make even the Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a turnover rate 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 commented last summer. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll stated of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his chance to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady made the key hires and placed the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired a close associate, his former teammate and colleague in Tampa, to act as general manager. He greenlit a team strategy to Carroll's preference, including trading a third-round pick for Smith and drafting a running back No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He recruited Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the top-earning OC in the league. And he signed off on handing a unreliable blocking unit – the foundation for that coach and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.

Disastrous Results

It has become a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and resilient. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive scheme, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' blocking unit has undermined any aspirations for their rookie and the run game. If nothing else, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, waiting for the plays to the end of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was stark. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Their star defender, now just five sacks away from the NFL single-season record, leads a formidable defense. And there is optimism around the impressive first-year players that includes two potential stars – Quinshon Judkins at RB and a skilled defender at linebacker. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be The Answer at QB, but who is An Answer in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was against the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders showed that the NFL level was not too big for him. With a full week to prepare, he was solid, taking what the opposition gave him and showing flashes of improvisation. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut game since 1995.

Absence of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class represent promise. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises recognize their situation in the league hierarchy: you're either a contender, a competitive squad, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas began the season believing they were a couple of moves away from respectability. Despite the overwhelming evidence otherwise, 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 real playing time. There has apparently already been tension between the coaching staff 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 totaled nine receptions in eleven contests, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on the defensive side over young players in need of experience.

Uncertain Direction

Where is the future direction? Will Carroll be back or Spytek or the quarterback? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise operate when its primary influencer participates sporadically, signs off major organizational decisions, and then vanishes on other projects?

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 reconstructing teams have clear trajectories. The Jets are stocked with future draft picks. The Tennessee and New York have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. No core. No quarterback. No identity. No strategic vision.

The only thing more problematic 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 excelled at football through ruthless focus. The Raiders could use more than an hour of it.