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Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering objective: becoming the most accomplished QB in league history. He achieved that goal. Now, in retirement, Brady has ventured into various pursuits. He serves as a broadcaster for a major network. He's engaged in development ventures in Birmingham. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's spreading the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his dog. Brady's post-career ventures appear either diverse or aimless, depending on your perspective.

Side projects are understandable. But managing a NFL team is not a part-time job. In addition to his other roles, Brady functions as the de facto football leader for the Las Vegas franchise, presently the least successful team in the NFL.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on Sunday after enduring a decisive loss 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 less than three yards per play before meaningless action in the fourth quarter. Geno Smith was tackled 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a season record for any franchise this year. On defense, Las Vegas surrendered significant gains to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been ineffective for the majority of the campaign. Any way you slice it, it was a thorough domination. At least Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was working 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 guiding the team's personnel choices, becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise in 2024. But he was accountable for every major decision last offseason, and all of them has backfired. Those decisions have left the Raiders as the least entertaining and aimless franchise in the league.

This wasn't expected to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't hire 74-year-old Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a Super Bowl and a NCAA title, to manage a protracted process back up the league table. He was expected to restore the team to relevance 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 reboot.

Franchise Turmoil

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, of course. Mark Davis is still the majority owner. Davis has cycled through coaches and executives at a speed that would make even the Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a turnover rate that has erased any coherent long-term vision. Still, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," league reporter a prominent journalist commented last summer. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll said of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his chance to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and set the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed a close associate, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to act as GM. He greenlit a team strategy to Carroll's preference, including trading a draft selection for Geno Smith and selecting a RB No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier O-line. He recruited Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the league. And he signed off on handing a unreliable blocking unit – the bedrock for that coordinator and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Results

It's been a complete failure. The previous year's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were scrappy and resilient. The current Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive philosophy, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any hopes for their rookie and the ground attack. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, counting down the snaps to the end of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was stark. The situation often seems dire 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 dominant defensive unit. And there is positive outlook around the stellar-looking first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – a dynamic runner at RB and Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be The Answer at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the short-term.

Granted, 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 prepare, he was solid, taking what the defense gave him and displaying glimpses of improvisation. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his debut game since 1995.

Absence of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class symbolize future potential. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Good organizations recognize their position in the league hierarchy: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas began the season believing they were a few adjustments away from respectability. Despite the clear indications otherwise, they failed to adjust midstream. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing rookies to find out what they have for the coming years. But only two first-year players have seen real playing time. There has apparently already been tension between the coaches and the front office regarding the limited playing time for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the o-line being a weak point. First-year pass catchers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine catches in eleven contests, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize experienced veterans on defense over young players in need of reps.

Uncertain Future

Where is the future direction? Will the coach return or Spytek or the quarterback? And who actually makes those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its most powerful decision-maker participates sporadically, approves franchise-altering moves, and then disappears on side quests?

It's going to be a struggle for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a conference stacked with consistently successful teams. Meanwhile, other rebuilders have clear trajectories. The New York Jets are stocked with upcoming selections. The Tennessee and New York have talented young QBs. The Raiders have nothing. No core. No quarterback. No distinctive style. No plan.

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

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