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Tom Brady dedicated over two decades to a unwavering mission: becoming the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He achieved that dream. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has explored various pursuits. He works as a commentator for Fox. He's engaged in development ventures in Birmingham. He has endorsed digital assets. He's expanding American football to Saudi Arabia. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's retirement ventures appear either diverse or unfocused, based on your viewpoint.

Secondary ventures are one thing. But managing a professional franchise is not a casual commitment. Alongside his other roles, Brady also serves as the unofficial football leader for the Raiders, currently the most hapless team in the league.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on Sunday after enduring a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a QB making his professional debut. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged less than three yards per play before garbage-time action in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was tackled 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a season record for any franchise this season. On the defensive side, Las Vegas allowed significant gains to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional for most of the campaign. However you analyze it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. Fortunately Brady didn't have to witness it. The primary decision-maker of this latest Vegas mess was sitting in Dallas on the network coverage for another game.

A Series of Questionable Choices

To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's football decisions, becoming a partial stakeholder of the organization in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last summer, and all of them has backfired. Those decisions have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless team in the league.

This wasn't expected to be a multi-year rebuild. 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 oversee a long slog back up the standings. He was expected to restore the team to relevance and then hand them off with a solid foundation in place. Conversely, Carroll is facing the prospect of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Organizational Turmoil

This is not all Brady's fault, of course. The majority owner is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has churned through coaches and executives at a rate that would make even the New York Jets feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a instability that has eliminated any clear strategic direction. Still, it's Brady's fingerprints that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," league reporter Tom Pelissero said last summer. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll said of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his opportunity to put his stamp on a team."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and set the Raiders on this directionless path. He hired a close associate, his former teammate and colleague in Tampa, to act as GM. He approved a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including dealing a third-round pick for Smith and drafting a RB No 6 overall despite having a poor-performing O-line. He lured Chip Kelly away from the college ranks, making him the top-earning OC in the NFL. And he signed off on entrusting a flaky offensive line – the foundation for that coach and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.

Disastrous Results

It has become a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and resilient. This year's Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive philosophy, the quarterback looks past his prime and the Raiders' offensive line has submarined any aspirations for Ashton Jeanty and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the conclusion 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 NFL all-time mark, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking rookie class that includes multiple promising talents – a dynamic runner at RB and a skilled defender at LB. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be The Answer at QB, but who is a viable option in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was facing the Raiders' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not overwhelming for him. With a complete preparation period to prepare, he was solid, accepting what the defense gave him and displaying glimpses of creativity. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start since 1995.

Absence of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' first-year players symbolize promise. 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 rebuilding. Vegas began the season thinking they were a few adjustments away from respectability. In spite of the clear indications otherwise, they haven't pivoted during the season. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing rookies to find out what they have for the coming years. But only two rookies 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 young blockers, despite the offensive line being a weak point. First-year pass catchers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have combined for nine catches in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize experienced veterans on the defensive side over young players in need of experience.

Uncertain Direction

Where is the future direction? Will the coach return or Spytek or the quarterback? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise operate when its primary influencer participates sporadically, signs off franchise-altering moves, and then vanishes on side quests?

It will prove a struggle for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a division stacked with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have paths. The New York Jets are stocked with future draft picks. The Tennessee and New York have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No quarterback. No distinctive style. No strategic vision.

The single factor more dangerous than being bad in the NFL is not knowing you're underperforming. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are building, or who will call the shots in the offseason.

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