Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a singular objective: becoming the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He accomplished that goal. Today, in retirement, Brady has ventured into numerous endeavors. He works as a commentator for Fox. He's engaged in construction projects in Birmingham. He has endorsed digital assets. He's expanding American football to Saudi Arabia. He maintains a popular YouTube channel. He even cloned his family pet. Brady's retirement activities appear either diverse or aimless, depending on your perspective.
Secondary ventures are understandable. But overseeing a professional franchise is hardly a part-time job. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady also serves as the unofficial decision-maker for the Raiders, presently the least successful team in the NFL.
The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a 24-10 defeat to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; 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 tackled 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a single-game high for any franchise this season. On defense, Las Vegas allowed big plays to a Cleveland offensive unit 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 architect of this current situation was sitting in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for Eagles-Cowboys.
To be fair to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's personnel choices, after 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 most unwatchable and directionless franchise in the league.
This wasn't supposed 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 oversee a long slog back up the standings. He was supposed to restore the team to competitiveness and then transition them with a solid foundation in place. Conversely, Carroll is staring at the prospect of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.
This isn't all Brady's fault, naturally. Mark Davis is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through head coaches and front-office heads 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 turnover rate that has erased any clear strategic direction. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence that are all over this version of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," NFL Insider Tom Pelissero said last summer. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll said of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his chance to put his stamp on a team."
Brady was responsible for the crucial appointments and set the Raiders on this directionless path. He hired John Spytek, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to act as GM. He greenlit a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including dealing a draft selection for Geno Smith and drafting a running back with the sixth pick despite having a bottom-tier offensive line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the college ranks, making him the top-earning offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he signed off on entrusting a unreliable offensive line – the foundation for that coach and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.
It's been a disaster. The previous year's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and competitive. The current Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has installed an outdated defensive philosophy, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' blocking unit has submarined any hopes for their rookie and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, counting down the plays to the end of the game.
The difference with Cleveland was stark. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. Their star defender, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the NFL all-time mark, leads a formidable defense. And there is positive outlook around the stellar-looking rookie class that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at RB and a skilled defender at LB. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be The Answer at quarterback, but who is a viable option in the immediate future.
Granted, it was against the Raiders' defense, but Sanders showed that the stage was not overwhelming for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was solid, accepting what the opposition gave him and displaying glimpses of creativity. 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 reflection the Raiders should avoid. Good organizations recognize 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 few adjustments away from respectability. In spite of the clear indications otherwise, they haven't pivoted midstream. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing young players to discover what they have for the coming years. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been tension between the coaches and the management regarding the lack of action for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the offensive line being a weak point. Rookie receivers two young talents have combined for nine catches in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out experienced veterans on defense over young players in need of experience.
What is the path forward? Will Carroll be back or Spytek or Smith? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise function when its most powerful decision-maker participates sporadically, approves major organizational decisions, and then vanishes 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 rebuilders have clear trajectories. The New York Jets are loaded with future draft picks. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No franchise QB. No distinctive style. No strategic vision.
The single factor more problematic than being bad in the NFL is not recognizing 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 mastered football through intense dedication. The Raiders could benefit from more than limited attention of it.
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