Tom Brady dedicated 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering objective: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in league history. He achieved that goal. Now, in retirement, Brady has explored various endeavors. He serves as a commentator for a major network. He's involved in development ventures in the UK. He has endorsed cryptocurrency. He's expanding American football to the Middle East. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his dog. Brady's retirement ventures appear either eclectic or unfocused, based on your viewpoint.
Side projects are understandable. But overseeing a NFL team is not a part-time job. In addition to his other roles, Brady functions as the de facto decision-maker for the Las Vegas franchise, presently the least successful team in the NFL.
The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on Sunday 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 first NFL start. The Raiders' offense averaged 2.9 yards per play before meaningless plays in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was tackled 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a season record for any team this season. On defense, Las Vegas allowed big plays to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been ineffective for most 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 working in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for Eagles-Cowboys.
In fairness to Brady, he has only been involved for a year guiding the team's football decisions, after becoming a minority owner of the organization in 2024. But he was responsible for every significant move last summer, and all of them has proven unsuccessful. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless team in the league.
This wasn't supposed to be a multi-year rebuild. 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 league table. He was expected to restore the team to relevance and then hand them off with a solid foundation in place. Instead, Carroll is staring at the prospect of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.
This is not entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. Mark Davis is still the majority owner. Davis has cycled through head coaches and front-office heads at a speed that would make even the Jets feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh 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 iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," NFL Insider a prominent journalist said last offseason. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll stated of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his opportunity to put his stamp on a team."
Brady made the crucial appointments and placed the Raiders on this rudderless course. He appointed a close associate, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to act as general manager. He approved a team strategy to Carroll's preference, including trading a third-round pick for Smith and drafting a RB No 6 overall despite having a poor-performing offensive line. He recruited Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the top-earning offensive coordinator in the league. And he signed off on entrusting a unreliable blocking unit – the foundation for that coach and running back – to the coach's family member.
It's been a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and competitive. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive scheme, the quarterback looks past his prime and the Raiders' blocking unit has undermined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty and the run game. If nothing else, Carroll was supposed to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the end of the game.
The difference with Cleveland was stark. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. Their star defender, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the league all-time mark, leads a dominant defensive unit. And there is positive outlook around the stellar-looking first-year players that includes two potential stars – Quinshon Judkins at RB and a skilled defender at linebacker. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be the permanent solution at quarterback, but who is a viable option in the short-term.
Admittedly, it was against the Raiders' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not too big for him. With a complete preparation period to prepare, he was solid, taking what the opposition gave him and displaying flashes of creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his first start since 1995.
The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' first-year players symbolize promise. That's a reflection the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises recognize their position in the league hierarchy: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a few adjustments away from respectability. In spite of the clear indications otherwise, they haven't pivoted midstream. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be throwing out young players to discover what they have for the future. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been disagreement between the coaches and the management regarding the limited playing time for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the offensive line being a sieve. First-year pass catchers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine catches in 11 games, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out grizzled vets on the defensive side over young players in need of reps.
Where is the future direction? Will the coach return or the GM or Smith? And who truly decides those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a team function when its primary influencer logs in occasionally, approves franchise-altering moves, and then disappears on side quests?
It will prove a challenge for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a conference filled with consistently successful teams. Meanwhile, other rebuilders have clear trajectories. The Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have nothing. No core. No quarterback. No identity. No strategic vision.
The only thing more problematic than being bad in the NFL is not recognizing you're bad. 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 ruthless focus. The Raiders could benefit from more than limited attention of it.
Mira is a seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in the online casino industry, specializing in slot mechanics and player strategies.
