Brady's Part-Time Involvement with the Raiders: An Unsettling Situation

Tom Brady dedicated over two decades to a singular mission: becoming the most accomplished QB in league history. He achieved that dream. Today, in retirement, Brady has explored various endeavors. He works as a commentator for Fox. He's involved in construction projects in Birmingham. He has endorsed cryptocurrency. He's expanding the NFL to the Middle East. He maintains a successful YouTube channel. He even cloned his dog. Brady's post-career ventures appear either eclectic or aimless, based on your perspective.

Secondary ventures are one thing. But overseeing a professional franchise is hardly a part-time job. Alongside his various responsibilities, Brady functions as the de facto decision-maker for the Las Vegas franchise, currently the least successful team in the NFL.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were humiliated by a underperforming team with a quarterback making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged 2.9 yards per play before meaningless action in the fourth quarter. Their quarterback was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a season record for any franchise this year. On the defensive side, Las Vegas surrendered significant gains to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been ineffective for the majority of the campaign. However you analyze 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 network coverage for another game.

A Collection of Questionable Choices

In fairness to Brady, he has only been involved for a year leading the team's football decisions, becoming a partial stakeholder of the organization in 2024. But he was responsible for every major decision last offseason, and all of them has proven unsuccessful. Those decisions have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless team 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 long slog back up the league table. He was supposed to restore the team to relevance and then hand them off 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 reboot.

Franchise Turmoil

This isn't entirely Brady's responsibility, naturally. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through coaches and front-office heads at a rate that would make even the New York Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a instability that has erased any clear strategic direction. Still, it's Brady's influence that are all over this version 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 directionless path. He hired a close associate, his former teammate and colleague in Tampa, to act as GM. He greenlit a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including trading a third-round pick for Smith and drafting a running back No 6 overall despite having a poor-performing offensive line. He recruited an offensive innovator away from the NCAA, making him the top-earning OC in the NFL. And he approved handing a unreliable blocking unit – the foundation for that coordinator and running back – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Outcomes

It's been a complete failure. The previous year's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and competitive. The current Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has installed an outdated defensive philosophy, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has submarined any hopes for their rookie and the ground attack. If nothing else, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, counting down the snaps to the conclusion of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was pronounced. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. 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 rookie class that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at running back and Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be the permanent solution at quarterback, but who is a viable option in the immediate future.

Granted, it was facing the Raiders' defense, but Sanders showed 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 showing flashes of creativity. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his first start since 1995.

Absence of Direction

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 league hierarchy: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 believing they were a few adjustments away from competitiveness. Despite the overwhelming evidence otherwise, they haven't pivoted during the season. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be throwing out rookies to find out what they have for the coming years. But only two first-year players have seen real playing time. There has apparently already been tension between the coaching staff and the management regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a sieve. First-year pass catchers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine receptions in eleven contests, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on defense over young players in need of experience.

Uncertain Direction

Where is the path forward? Will the coach return or the GM or the quarterback? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise operate when its primary influencer logs in occasionally, approves franchise-altering moves, and then vanishes on other projects?

It will prove a struggle for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a division stacked with perennial playoff contenders. At the same time, other rebuilders have paths. The Jets are stocked with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have nothing. No foundation. No franchise QB. No identity. No plan.

The only thing more dangerous than being ineffective in the NFL is not recognizing you're underperforming. The Raiders lack clarity on where they are, what they are developing, or who will call the shots in the offseason.

Tom Brady once mastered football through intense dedication. The Raiders could benefit from more than an hour of it.