Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a singular mission: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He achieved that dream. Now, in retirement, Brady has explored numerous pursuits. He serves as a broadcaster for Fox. He's involved in construction projects in the UK. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's expanding the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's post-career activities appear either eclectic or unfocused, depending on your viewpoint.
Secondary ventures are understandable. But overseeing a NFL team is not a casual commitment. Alongside his other roles, Brady functions as the unofficial football leader for the Raiders, currently the least successful team in the league.
The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a decisive loss to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a QB making his first NFL start. 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 was pressured 46 times, a single-game high for any franchise this year. On the defensive side, Las Vegas allowed big plays to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been ineffective for the majority of the campaign. However you analyze it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. At least Brady didn't have to watch. The primary decision-maker of this current situation was sitting in Dallas on the network coverage for another game.
To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season guiding the team's personnel choices, after becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise in 2024. But he was responsible for every major decision last offseason, and all of them has proven unsuccessful. Those decisions have resulted in the Raiders as the least entertaining and aimless franchise in the NFL.
This wasn't supposed to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't hire 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 standings. He was expected to return the team to competitiveness and then transition them with a stable base in place. Conversely, Carroll is staring at the possibility of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.
This isn't all Brady's fault, naturally. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through head coaches and executives at a rate that would make even the New York 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. 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 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 team."
Brady made the crucial appointments and placed the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired a close associate, his former teammate and colleague in Tampa, to serve as general manager. He approved a roster plan to Carroll's preference, including dealing a draft selection for Smith and drafting a running back No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier O-line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the top-earning OC in the NFL. And he approved entrusting a unreliable blocking unit – the bedrock for that coach and running back – to Carroll's son.
It's been a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and competitive. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive scheme, the quarterback looks past his prime and the Raiders' blocking unit has submarined any aspirations for their rookie and the run game. If nothing else, Carroll was expected to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, counting down the plays to the conclusion of the game.
The contrast 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 NFL single-season record, leads a formidable defense. And there is positive outlook around the impressive rookie class 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 QB, but who is a viable option in the immediate future.
Admittedly, it was against the Raiders' defense, but Sanders showed that the stage was not too big 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 Browns rookie quarterback to win his first start since 1995.
Sanders and the rest of the Browns' first-year players symbolize future potential. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises recognize their situation in the ecosystem: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a few adjustments away from competitiveness. Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, they failed to adjust during the season. Like Cleveland, 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 apparently already been disagreement between the coaches and the management regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a weak point. Rookie receivers two young talents have totaled nine catches in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to roll out experienced veterans on the defensive side over rookies in need of reps.
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 primary influencer participates sporadically, signs off 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 filled with consistently successful teams. Meanwhile, other rebuilders have clear trajectories. The New York Jets are stocked with future draft picks. The Titans and Giants have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No quarterback. No distinctive style. No plan.
The single factor more dangerous than being bad in the NFL is not recognizing you're underperforming. The Raiders lack clarity on where they are, what they are developing, or who will make decisions in the summer.
Tom Brady once mastered football through intense dedication. The Raiders could benefit from more than an hour of it.
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