🔗 Share this article

Tom Brady dedicated over two decades to a unwavering objective: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in league history. He achieved that dream. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into various pursuits. He serves as a commentator for a major network. He's engaged in development ventures in Birmingham. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's spreading American football to Saudi Arabia. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's post-career ventures appear either diverse or aimless, depending on your perspective.

Side projects are understandable. But managing a NFL team is hardly a casual commitment. In addition to his other roles, Brady also serves as the unofficial decision-maker for the Las Vegas franchise, currently the least successful team in the league.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on this past weekend after suffering a decisive loss to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were embarrassed by a underperforming team with a quarterback making his professional debut. The Raiders' offense 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 season record for any team this season. On defense, Las Vegas allowed significant gains to a Cleveland offense that has been ineffective for the majority of the season. Any way you slice it, it was a thorough domination. At least Brady didn't have to watch. The primary decision-maker of this latest Vegas mess was working in Dallas on the network coverage for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Series of Dubious Decisions

To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season guiding the team's personnel choices, after becoming a minority owner of the franchise in 2024. But he was accountable for every major decision last offseason, and all of them has backfired. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the least entertaining and aimless team in the league.

This wasn't expected to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't hire veteran coach 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 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 reboot.

Organizational Dysfunction

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. Mark Davis is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has cycled through head coaches and executives at a rate that would make even the Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a turnover rate that has erased any clear strategic direction. Still, it's Brady's influence that are all over this version of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," NFL Insider Tom Pelissero commented last summer. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll stated of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his chance to put his stamp on a team."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired a close associate, his college buddy and co-worker in Tampa, to act as general manager. He approved a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including dealing a draft selection for Geno Smith and selecting a running back with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier O-line. He lured an offensive innovator away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the league. And he approved entrusting a unreliable blocking unit – the foundation for that coordinator and running back – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It has become a disaster. The previous year's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were scrappy and resilient. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive philosophy, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has submarined any aspirations for their rookie and the ground attack. At the very least, Carroll was supposed 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 pronounced. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Myles Garrett, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the league all-time mark, leads a formidable defense. And there is positive outlook around the impressive first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – a dynamic runner at running back and a skilled defender at LB. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be The Answer at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was facing the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders demonstrated that the stage was not overwhelming for him. With a complete preparation period to prepare, he was effective, accepting what the defense gave him and showing glimpses of creativity. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Vision

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' first-year players symbolize promise. That's a reflection the Raiders should avoid. Good organizations understand their position in the league hierarchy: 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 competitiveness. In spite of the overwhelming evidence otherwise, they haven't pivoted midstream. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing rookies to discover what they have for the coming years. But only two first-year players have seen significant action. There has reportedly already been tension between the coaches and the front office regarding the lack of action for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a sieve. First-year pass catchers 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 rookies in need of experience.

Unclear Future

What is the future direction? Will Carroll be back or Spytek or Smith? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its most powerful decision-maker logs in occasionally, approves franchise-altering moves, and then disappears on side quests?

It will prove a struggle for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a division filled with perennial playoff contenders. Meanwhile, other reconstructing teams have clear trajectories. The Jets are stocked with upcoming selections. The Tennessee and New York have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have nothing. No foundation. No franchise QB. No identity. No plan.

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

Tom Brady once excelled at football through intense dedication. The Raiders could use more than an hour of it.