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Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering mission: becoming the greatest quarterback in league history. He accomplished that dream. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into various endeavors. He works as a commentator for Fox. He's engaged in development ventures in Birmingham. He has endorsed digital assets. He's expanding American football to Saudi Arabia. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his family pet. Brady's post-career activities appear either eclectic or aimless, based on your perspective.

Secondary ventures are one thing. But overseeing a professional franchise is not a casual commitment. In addition to his other roles, Brady also serves as the unofficial football leader for the Raiders, presently the most hapless team in the league.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on this past weekend after enduring a decisive loss to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a quarterback making his professional debut. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged less than three yards per play before meaningless action in the final period. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a single-game high for any team this season. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered big plays to a Cleveland offense that has been ineffective for the majority of the season. However you analyze it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to witness it. The primary decision-maker of this latest Vegas mess was working in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Collection of Dubious Choices

To be fair 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 summer, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless team in the NFL.

This wasn't supposed to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't appoint veteran coach Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a championship and a college national championship, to oversee a long slog back up the standings. He was expected to restore the team to relevance and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Instead, Carroll is staring at the prospect of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Franchise Dysfunction

This isn't all Brady's fault, of course. The majority owner is still the majority owner. 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 coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a instability that has erased any clear strategic direction. Still, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this version of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," NFL Insider Tom Pelissero said last summer. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll stated of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his opportunity to leave his mark on a team."

Brady was responsible for the crucial appointments and set the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed 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 draft selection for Geno Smith and drafting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid OC in the NFL. And he signed off on entrusting a unreliable offensive line – the bedrock for that coach and running back – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Results

It has become a disaster. The previous year's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and resilient. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive philosophy, the quarterback 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 lifeless on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the end of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was stark. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. Myles Garrett, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the league all-time mark, leads a formidable defense. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at running back and a skilled defender at LB. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be the permanent solution at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the short-term.

Granted, it was facing the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders showed that the stage was not too big for him. With a full week to prepare, he was effective, taking what the defense gave him and showing glimpses of improvisation. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start since 1995.

Absence of Vision

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. Successful franchises recognize their position in the league hierarchy: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or rebuilding. Vegas began the season thinking they were a couple of moves away from competitiveness. In spite of the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, they failed to adjust during the season. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be throwing out 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 coaches and the management regarding the limited playing time for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the o-line being a weak point. Rookie receivers two young talents have totaled nine receptions in 11 games, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out grizzled vets on defense over young players in need of experience.

Uncertain Future

What 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, approves franchise-altering moves, and then disappears on other projects?

It will prove a struggle for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a conference stacked with perennial playoff contenders. Meanwhile, other reconstructing teams have clear trajectories. The Jets are loaded with future draft picks. The Tennessee and New York have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have nothing. No core. No quarterback. No identity. No strategic vision.

The only thing more dangerous than being ineffective in the NFL is not knowing you're bad. The Raiders lack clarity on 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.