Tom Brady's Part-Time Involvement with the Las Vegas Raiders: An Unsettling Scenario

Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a singular objective: becoming the most accomplished QB in NFL history. He accomplished that goal. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into numerous endeavors. He works as a commentator for Fox. He's engaged in construction projects in Birmingham. He has endorsed cryptocurrency. He's spreading American football to the Middle East. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's post-career ventures appear either eclectic or unfocused, based on your viewpoint.

Side projects are one thing. But managing a professional franchise is not a casual commitment. Alongside his other roles, Brady also serves as the de facto decision-maker for the Raiders, currently the most hapless team in the NFL.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were embarrassed by a struggling team with a quarterback making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offense averaged less than three yards per play before meaningless action in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a single-game high for any team this year. On the defensive side, Las Vegas allowed big plays to a Cleveland offense that has been ineffective for most of the campaign. However you analyze it, it was a thorough domination. At least Brady didn't have to watch. The primary decision-maker of this latest Vegas mess was sitting in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for another game.

A Collection of Questionable Decisions

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

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 Super Bowl and a NCAA title, to manage a protracted process back up the league table. He was supposed to return the team to relevance and then transition them with a stable base in place. Conversely, Carroll is staring at the prospect of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Organizational Dysfunction

This is not all Brady's fault, naturally. Mark Davis is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has cycled through coaches and front-office heads 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 instability that has erased any coherent long-term vision. Still, it's Brady's fingerprints that are all over this version of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter Tom Pelissero commented last offseason. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll said of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his chance to leave his mark on a franchise."

Brady was responsible for the key hires and set the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed John Spytek, 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 Smith and drafting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a poor-performing offensive line. He recruited Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the league. And he signed off on handing a flaky offensive line – the foundation for that coordinator and running back – to Carroll's son.

Disastrous Outcomes

It's been a disaster. The previous year's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and competitive. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive philosophy, Smith 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, counting down the plays to the end 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 quarterback takedowns away from the league all-time mark, leads a formidable defense. And there is optimism around the impressive rookie class that includes two potential stars – Quinshon Judkins at running back and Carson Schwesinger at LB. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be the permanent solution at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was facing the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders showed that the stage was not overwhelming for him. With a full week to get ready, he was solid, accepting what the opposition gave him and showing flashes of creativity. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Vision

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class represent future potential. That's a mirror the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises recognize their position in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas began the season believing they were a couple of moves away from respectability. Despite the clear indications to the contrary, they haven't pivoted midstream. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing young players to find out what they have for the future. But only two first-year players have seen significant action. There has reportedly already been disagreement between the coaching staff and the management regarding the lack of action 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 ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out experienced veterans on the defensive side over young players in need of experience.

Uncertain Future

What is the path forward? Will Carroll be back or Spytek or the quarterback? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its most powerful decision-maker participates sporadically, signs off franchise-altering moves, and then disappears on side quests?

It will prove a struggle for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a division filled with consistently successful teams. At the same time, other rebuilders have clear trajectories. The 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 franchise QB. No distinctive style. No plan.

The single factor more problematic than being ineffective 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 offseason.

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