🔗 Share this article

Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering objective: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in league history. He achieved that goal. Now, in his post-playing career, Brady has explored numerous pursuits. He works as a broadcaster for Fox. He's involved in development ventures in Birmingham. He has endorsed digital assets. He's spreading the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's post-career activities appear either diverse or unfocused, based on your viewpoint.

Side projects are one thing. But managing a NFL team is not a casual commitment. In addition to his other roles, Brady functions as the unofficial decision-maker for the Las Vegas franchise, presently the most hapless team in the league.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on this past weekend after suffering a 24-10 defeat to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a quarterback making his professional debut. The Raiders' offense averaged 2.9 yards per play before meaningless plays in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a season record for any team this year. On defense, Las Vegas surrendered significant gains to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional for most of the season. However you analyze it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to watch. The architect of this current situation was working in Dallas on the network coverage for another game.

A Series of Dubious Decisions

To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's personnel choices, becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise in 2024. But he was responsible for every significant move last offseason, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those decisions have left the Raiders as the least entertaining and directionless franchise in the NFL.

This wasn't expected to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't hire 74-year-old Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a championship and a college national championship, to manage a long slog back up the standings. He was expected to restore the team to competitiveness and then transition them with a solid foundation in place. Instead, Carroll is facing the possibility of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Franchise Dysfunction

This isn't all Brady's fault, of course. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through coaches and executives at a speed 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 erased any clear strategic direction. Nevertheless, it's Brady's fingerprints that are all over this version of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," 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 team."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He appointed a close associate, his former teammate and colleague in Tampa, to serve as general manager. He greenlit a roster plan to Carroll's preference, including dealing a draft selection for Geno Smith and selecting a running back with the sixth pick despite having a poor-performing O-line. He lured Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the league. And he signed off on entrusting a flaky blocking unit – the foundation for that coach and running back – to Carroll's son.

Disastrous Outcomes

It's been a complete failure. The previous year's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were scrappy and resilient. This year's Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive scheme, 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 enthusiasm. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, waiting for the plays to the conclusion of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was pronounced. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. Myles Garrett, now just five sacks away from the league all-time mark, leads a formidable defense. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at RB and Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be the permanent solution at QB, but who is a viable option in the immediate future.

Admittedly, it was facing the Raiders' defense, but Sanders showed 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 showing glimpses of creativity. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start since 1995.

Absence of Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' first-year players symbolize promise. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Good organizations recognize their situation in the league hierarchy: you're either a championship candidate, a frisky playoff team, or rebuilding. Vegas began the season thinking they were a few adjustments away from respectability. Despite the clear indications otherwise, they haven't pivoted during the season. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be throwing out young players to discover what they have for the coming years. But only two first-year players have seen real playing time. There has apparently already been disagreement between the coaching staff and the management regarding the lack of action for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the offensive line being a weak point. Rookie receivers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine receptions in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on defense over rookies in need of experience.

Unclear Direction

What is the path forward? Will Carroll be back or the GM or the quarterback? And who actually makes those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise function when its primary influencer participates sporadically, approves major organizational decisions, and then vanishes on other projects?

It will prove a challenge for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a division filled with consistently successful teams. At the same time, other rebuilders have clear trajectories. The New York Jets are stocked with upcoming selections. The Tennessee and New York have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have nothing. No core. No quarterback. No distinctive style. No strategic vision.

The single factor more problematic than being ineffective in the NFL is not recognizing you're underperforming. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are developing, or who will call the shots in the offseason.

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