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Tom Brady committed over two decades to a singular objective: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in league history. He achieved that goal. Now, in retirement, Brady has ventured into various endeavors. He serves as a broadcaster for Fox. He's involved in construction projects in the UK. He has endorsed digital assets. He's spreading American football to the Middle East. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his family pet. Brady's retirement activities appear either diverse or aimless, based on your perspective.

Side projects are one thing. But overseeing a professional franchise is not a part-time job. Alongside his various responsibilities, Brady also serves as the unofficial decision-maker for the Las Vegas franchise, presently the most hapless team in the league.

The Raiders dropped 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 struggling team with a QB making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offensive unit 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 season record for any franchise this season. On defense, Las Vegas surrendered big plays 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 watch. The architect of this latest Vegas mess was sitting in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Collection of Dubious Decisions

To be fair to Brady, he has only been involved for a year guiding the team's football decisions, becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise in 2024. But he was accountable for every major decision last summer, and each one has backfired. Those decisions have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless team in the NFL.

This wasn't expected to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't hire 74-year-old Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a Super Bowl and a college national championship, to manage a protracted process back up the standings. He was expected to restore the team to relevance and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Conversely, Carroll is facing the prospect of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Organizational Dysfunction

This is not all Brady's fault, of course. Mark Davis is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through head 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 GM in 15 years, a turnover rate that has eliminated any clear strategic direction. Still, it's Brady's fingerprints that are all over this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," league reporter Tom Pelissero said last summer. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll said of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his opportunity to leave his mark on a team."

Brady was responsible for the crucial appointments and placed the Raiders on this rudderless course. He appointed a close associate, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to act as general manager. He greenlit a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including trading a third-round pick for Geno Smith and drafting a RB 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 league. And he approved handing a unreliable blocking unit – the bedrock for that coach and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.

Disastrous Results

It has become a complete failure. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and competitive. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an outdated defensive scheme, the quarterback looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has undermined any hopes for their rookie and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, waiting for the plays to the end of the game.

The difference 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 NFL single-season record, leads a formidable defense. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking first-year players that includes two potential stars – Quinshon Judkins at running back and a skilled defender at linebacker. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be The Answer at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the immediate future.

Admittedly, it was against the Raiders' defense, but Sanders showed that the NFL level was not too big for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was effective, taking what the opposition gave him and showing flashes of creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback 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 don't want to look into. Good organizations understand their situation in the league hierarchy: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas began the season believing they were a few adjustments away from respectability. Despite the clear indications otherwise, they haven't pivoted midstream. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be throwing out young players to find out what they have for the coming years. But only two first-year players have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been disagreement between the coaching staff and the front office regarding the limited playing time for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the o-line being a sieve. First-year pass catchers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have combined for nine receptions in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on the defensive side over young players in need of reps.

Uncertain Direction

Where is the path forward? Will Carroll be back or the GM or the quarterback? And who actually makes 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 other projects?

It will prove a challenge for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a conference filled with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other reconstructing teams have paths. The Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have nothing. No foundation. No quarterback. No identity. No plan.

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

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