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Tom Brady committed over two decades to a singular mission: becoming the greatest quarterback in league history. He accomplished that dream. Now, in his post-playing career, Brady has explored numerous pursuits. He works as a commentator for Fox. He's engaged in construction projects in the UK. He has endorsed cryptocurrency. He's spreading the NFL to the Middle East. He maintains a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's retirement ventures appear either eclectic or unfocused, based on your perspective.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But overseeing a NFL team is hardly a part-time job. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady also serves as the unofficial football leader for the Raiders, currently the least successful team in the league.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a 24-10 defeat to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were humiliated by a underperforming team with a QB making his professional debut. The Raiders' offense averaged 2.9 yards per play before meaningless action in the final period. Geno Smith was tackled 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a single-game high for any franchise this season. On the defensive side, Las Vegas allowed big plays to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been ineffective for most of the campaign. Any way you slice it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. Fortunately Brady didn't have to watch. The architect of this current situation was sitting in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Collection of Dubious Choices

In fairness to Brady, he has only been involved for a year guiding the team's personnel choices, becoming a minority owner of the franchise in 2024. But he was responsible for every significant move last summer, and all of them has proven unsuccessful. Those decisions have resulted in the Raiders as the least entertaining and aimless franchise in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't appoint veteran coach Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a Super Bowl and a college national championship, to oversee a protracted process back up the league table. He was supposed 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 restart.

Organizational Turmoil

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, of course. The majority owner is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has churned through coaches and front-office heads at a speed that would make even the Jets feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a instability that has eliminated any coherent long-term vision. Still, it's Brady's fingerprints that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," NFL Insider Tom Pelissero said last summer. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll stated of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his chance to leave his mark on a team."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired John Spytek, his college buddy and co-worker in Tampa, to act as GM. He approved a team strategy to Carroll's preference, including dealing a draft selection for Geno Smith and selecting a running back with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He recruited Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid OC in the league. And he approved entrusting a unreliable blocking unit – the bedrock for that coordinator and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.

Disastrous Results

It has become a complete failure. The previous year's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and competitive. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive scheme, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' blocking unit has undermined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty and the run game. If nothing else, Carroll was supposed to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, counting down the snaps to the conclusion of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was pronounced. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Myles Garrett, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the league all-time mark, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is positive outlook around the impressive rookie class that includes two potential stars – Quinshon Judkins at running back and a skilled defender at LB. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be the permanent solution at QB, but who is An Answer in the immediate future.

Admittedly, it was facing the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not overwhelming for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was effective, accepting what the defense gave him and displaying glimpses of improvisation. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' first-year players represent promise. That's a mirror the Raiders don't want to look into. Good organizations understand their situation in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a frisky playoff team, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas began the season believing they were a couple of moves away from respectability. Despite the clear indications otherwise, they haven't pivoted 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 real playing time. There has apparently already been tension between the coaching staff and the management regarding the lack of action for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the offensive line being a sieve. First-year pass catchers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have combined for nine catches in eleven contests, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to roll out grizzled vets on defense over rookies in need of experience.

Unclear Direction

Where is the path forward? Will the coach return or the GM or Smith? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team function when its primary influencer logs in occasionally, approves franchise-altering moves, and then disappears on other projects?

It's going to be a struggle for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a division stacked with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other rebuilders have paths. The Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Tennessee and New York have talented young QBs. The Raiders have nothing. 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 bad. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are building, or who will make decisions in the summer.

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