🔗 Share this article

Tom Brady committed over two decades to a singular mission: becoming the greatest quarterback in league history. He achieved that dream. Now, in retirement, Brady has ventured into various pursuits. He serves as a commentator for Fox. He's engaged in development ventures in the UK. He has endorsed digital assets. He's spreading the NFL to the Middle East. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his family pet. Brady's retirement activities appear either eclectic or unfocused, depending on your perspective.

Side projects are understandable. But managing a professional franchise is not a part-time job. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady also serves as the de facto decision-maker for the Raiders, presently the least successful 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 embarrassed by a struggling team with a quarterback making his professional debut. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged 2.9 yards per play before garbage-time plays in the final period. Geno Smith was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a single-game high for any franchise this season. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered significant gains to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional for the majority of the campaign. Any way you slice it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. 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 another game.

A Collection of Dubious Decisions

To be fair to Brady, he has only been involved for a year guiding the team's personnel choices, becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise in 2024. But he was accountable for every major decision last summer, and all of them has backfired. Those decisions have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless franchise in the league.

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 Super Bowl and a NCAA title, to manage a long slog back up the standings. He was supposed to restore the team to competitiveness and then hand them off with a solid foundation 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 Turmoil

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has cycled through coaches and executives at a rate that would make even the New York Jets feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a instability that has eliminated any clear strategic direction. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this version of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter a prominent journalist commented 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 franchise."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired John Spytek, his former teammate and colleague in Tampa, to act as general manager. He approved a roster plan 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 bottom-tier offensive line. He lured Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the top-earning offensive coordinator in the league. And he approved handing a flaky offensive line – the bedrock for that coach and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Results

It's been a disaster. The previous year's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and resilient. This year's Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has installed an outdated defensive philosophy, Smith looks past his prime and the Raiders' blocking unit has submarined any aspirations for their rookie and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the conclusion of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was stark. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Myles Garrett, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the league single-season record, leads a formidable defense. And there is positive outlook around the stellar-looking first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – a dynamic runner at running back and Carson Schwesinger at LB. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be The Answer at quarterback, but who is a viable option in the immediate future.

Granted, it was against the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders showed that the NFL level was not overwhelming for him. With a complete preparation period to prepare, he was effective, taking what the opposition gave him and displaying flashes of creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Vision

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' first-year players symbolize future potential. That's a reflection the Raiders should avoid. Good organizations recognize their situation in the league hierarchy: you're either a contender, a competitive squad, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas began the season thinking they were a few adjustments away from competitiveness. Despite the overwhelming evidence otherwise, they haven't pivoted midstream. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be throwing out rookies to discover what they have for the future. But only two first-year players have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been tension between the coaching staff and the front office regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a sieve. First-year pass catchers two young talents have combined for nine catches in 11 games, 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

Where is the path forward? Will Carroll be back or Spytek or the quarterback? And who actually makes those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise function when its primary influencer participates sporadically, signs off major organizational decisions, and then disappears on side quests?

It's going to be a struggle for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a division stacked with consistently successful teams. At the same time, other rebuilders have paths. The Jets are stocked with future draft picks. The Tennessee and New York have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No core. No franchise QB. No distinctive style. 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 developing, or who will make decisions in the offseason.

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