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Tom Brady committed over two decades to a singular mission: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in league history. He achieved that dream. Now, in retirement, Brady has ventured into various pursuits. He works as a broadcaster for a major network. He's involved in development ventures in Birmingham. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's spreading the NFL to the Middle East. He maintains a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's retirement activities appear either diverse or aimless, depending on your viewpoint.

Side projects are understandable. But overseeing a professional franchise is not a part-time job. Alongside his various responsibilities, Brady functions as the de facto decision-maker for the Las Vegas franchise, currently the least successful team in the NFL.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on Sunday after enduring a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were embarrassed by a struggling team with a quarterback making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged 2.9 yards per play before meaningless action in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a season record for any team this year. On the defensive side, Las Vegas allowed big plays to a Cleveland offense that has been dysfunctional for most of the campaign. Any way you slice it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. At least Brady didn't have to watch. 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

In fairness to Brady, he has only been involved for a year guiding the team's personnel choices, becoming a partial stakeholder of the organization in 2024. But he was responsible for every major decision last summer, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those decisions have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless franchise in the NFL.

This wasn't supposed to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't appoint 74-year-old Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a Super Bowl and a NCAA title, to oversee a long slog back up the standings. He was expected to return the team to relevance and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Conversely, Carroll is facing the prospect of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Franchise Turmoil

This isn't all Brady's fault, of course. Mark Davis is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has cycled through head coaches and executives at a speed 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 erased any coherent long-term vision. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this version of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," league reporter Tom Pelissero commented last offseason. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll stated of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his chance to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady made the crucial appointments and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He appointed a close associate, his college buddy and co-worker in Tampa, to serve as GM. He approved a roster plan to Carroll's preference, including trading a draft selection for Geno Smith and selecting a running back No 6 overall despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he signed off on handing a flaky blocking unit – the foundation for that coordinator and running back – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Results

It's been a complete failure. The previous year's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and resilient. This year's Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has implemented an old-fashioned defensive philosophy, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' blocking unit has submarined any aspirations for Ashton Jeanty and the ground attack. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, waiting for the plays to the end of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was pronounced. 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 rookie class that includes two potential stars – a dynamic runner at RB and a skilled defender at linebacker. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be the permanent solution at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was against the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders showed that the stage was not overwhelming for him. With a full week to prepare, he was effective, taking what the opposition gave him and showing glimpses of creativity. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class represent promise. That's a mirror the Raiders don't want to look into. Good organizations understand their situation in the ecosystem: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas began the season thinking they were a couple of moves away from respectability. Despite the clear indications otherwise, they haven't pivoted midstream. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing young players to discover 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 young blockers, despite the offensive line being a sieve. Rookie receivers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine catches in eleven contests, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out grizzled vets on the defensive side over rookies in need of experience.

Unclear Direction

What is the path forward? Will the coach return or Spytek or Smith? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise function when its primary influencer logs in occasionally, approves franchise-altering moves, and then vanishes on other projects?

It will prove a challenge for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a division filled with consistently successful teams. Meanwhile, other reconstructing teams have clear trajectories. The New York Jets are loaded with future draft picks. The Tennessee and New York have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have nothing. No foundation. No quarterback. No distinctive style. No strategic vision.

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 offseason.

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