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Tom Brady dedicated over two decades to a unwavering objective: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in league history. He accomplished that goal. Today, in retirement, Brady has explored numerous pursuits. He serves as a commentator for a major network. He's engaged in development ventures in Birmingham. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's expanding the NFL to the Middle East. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's retirement activities appear either diverse or aimless, based on your perspective.

Side projects are understandable. But overseeing a professional franchise is not a casual commitment. In addition to his other roles, 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 Sunday after enduring a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were embarrassed by a underperforming team with a quarterback making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged less than three yards per play before garbage-time plays in the final period. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a season record 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 season. Any way you slice it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to watch. The primary decision-maker of this current situation was sitting in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Series of Questionable Choices

To be fair 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 each one has proven unsuccessful. Those moves have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless team in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't hire 74-year-old Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches 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 competitiveness and then transition them with a stable base in place. Conversely, Carroll is staring at the prospect of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Organizational Dysfunction

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, of course. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has cycled through head coaches and front-office heads at a speed that would make even the Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a instability that has erased 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," league reporter Tom Pelissero said last summer. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll said of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his opportunity to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady was responsible for the crucial appointments and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired John Spytek, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to serve as GM. He greenlit a roster plan to Carroll's preference, including dealing a third-round pick for Geno Smith and selecting a running back No 6 overall despite having a poor-performing O-line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid OC in the NFL. And he signed off on handing a flaky blocking unit – the bedrock for that coach and running back – to Carroll's son.

Disastrous Outcomes

It has become a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were scrappy and resilient. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive philosophy, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any aspirations for Ashton Jeanty and the run game. If nothing else, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the end of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was pronounced. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Myles Garrett, now just five sacks away from the league all-time mark, leads a formidable defense. And there is optimism 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 short-term.

Granted, it was against the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders showed that the NFL level was not too big for him. With a complete preparation period to prepare, he was effective, taking what the defense gave him and displaying glimpses of improvisation. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his first start since 1995.

Absence of Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' first-year players represent promise. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. 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 thinking they were a couple of moves away from respectability. 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 find out what they have for the future. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been disagreement between the coaching staff and the front office regarding the lack of action for two young blockers, despite the offensive line being a sieve. First-year pass catchers two young talents have combined for nine catches in eleven contests, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out experienced veterans on the defensive side over young players in need of experience.

Uncertain Future

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 franchise function when its most powerful decision-maker logs in occasionally, signs off franchise-altering moves, and then vanishes on side quests?

It's going to be a challenge for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a division filled with consistently successful teams. Meanwhile, other reconstructing teams have paths. The Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Tennessee and New York have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No franchise QB. No distinctive style. No plan.

The single factor 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 call the shots in the summer.

Tom Brady once excelled at football through intense dedication. The Raiders could benefit from more than limited attention of it.