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Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering mission: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in league history. He accomplished that goal. Today, in retirement, Brady has explored various endeavors. He serves as a broadcaster for Fox. He's engaged in development ventures in Birmingham. He has endorsed cryptocurrency. He's spreading American football to the Middle East. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's retirement activities appear either diverse or aimless, based on your viewpoint.

Side projects are understandable. But overseeing a professional franchise is hardly a casual commitment. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady functions as the unofficial football leader for the Las Vegas franchise, currently the most hapless team in the league.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on this past weekend after enduring a 24-10 defeat to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were embarrassed by a struggling team with a quarterback making his professional debut. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged less than three yards per play before garbage-time action in the fourth quarter. Geno Smith was tackled 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a season record for any team this year. On defense, Las Vegas surrendered significant gains to a Cleveland offense that has been ineffective for the majority of the campaign. However you analyze it, it was a thorough domination. At least Brady didn't have to witness it. The primary decision-maker of this current situation was sitting in Dallas on the network coverage for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Series of Dubious Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only been involved for a year leading the team's football decisions, becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise in 2024. But he was responsible for every major decision last offseason, and each one has backfired. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless team 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 standings. He was expected to restore the team to competitiveness and then transition them with a stable base in place. Instead, Carroll is staring at the possibility of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Organizational Dysfunction

This is not entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. Mark Davis is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through coaches and front-office heads at a speed that would make even the Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a instability that has eliminated any coherent long-term vision. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence that are all over this version of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," NFL Insider a prominent journalist said last offseason. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll stated of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his opportunity to put his stamp on a team."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and placed the Raiders on this rudderless course. He appointed John Spytek, his former teammate and colleague in Tampa, to serve as general manager. He greenlit 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 poor-performing offensive line. He lured Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid OC in the league. And he approved entrusting a unreliable offensive line – the bedrock for that coach and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Results

It has become a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and resilient. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an outdated defensive scheme, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' blocking unit has submarined any hopes for their rookie and the run game. If nothing else, Carroll was expected to bring energy. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, counting down the plays to the end 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 sacks away from the NFL all-time mark, leads a formidable defense. And there is optimism around the impressive rookie class that includes two potential stars – a dynamic runner at RB and a skilled defender at LB. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be The Answer at QB, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was facing the Raiders' defense, but Sanders showed that the stage was not overwhelming for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was effective, accepting what the defense gave him and displaying flashes of improvisation. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his first start since 1995.

Absence of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' first-year players symbolize future potential. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Good organizations 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 few adjustments away from competitiveness. Despite the clear indications otherwise, they failed to adjust midstream. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be throwing out rookies to find out what they have for the future. But only two first-year players have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been disagreement between the coaches and the management regarding the lack of action for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a sieve. Rookie receivers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine receptions in eleven contests, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to roll out experienced veterans on the defensive side over young players in need of reps.

Uncertain Direction

Where is the path forward? Will Carroll be back or the GM or Smith? And who actually makes those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise function when its most powerful decision-maker participates sporadically, signs off franchise-altering moves, and then vanishes on side quests?

It's going to be a challenge for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a division stacked with consistently successful teams. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have paths. The Jets are stocked with future draft picks. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No quarterback. No distinctive style. No strategic vision.

The only thing more dangerous than being bad in the NFL is not recognizing you're bad. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are building, or who will make decisions in the offseason.

Tom Brady once excelled at football through ruthless focus. The Raiders could benefit from more than an hour of it.