Brady's Part-Time Involvement with the Las Vegas Raiders: A Chaotic Situation

Tom Brady dedicated over two decades to a unwavering mission: becoming the greatest quarterback in league history. He achieved that goal. Now, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into numerous pursuits. He serves as a commentator for Fox. He's involved in development ventures in the UK. He has promoted cryptocurrency. He's spreading the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He operates a popular YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's retirement activities appear either diverse or unfocused, depending on your viewpoint.

Side projects are understandable. But managing a professional franchise is not a part-time job. Alongside his various responsibilities, Brady functions as the unofficial decision-maker for the Las Vegas franchise, currently the least successful team in the league.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on Sunday after suffering a decisive loss to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just get defeated; they were humiliated by a underperforming team with a quarterback making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offense 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 single-game high for any team 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 season. Any way you slice it, it was a thorough domination. Fortunately Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this current situation was sitting in Dallas on the network coverage for another game.

A Collection of Dubious Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only spent one season guiding the team's football decisions, becoming a partial stakeholder 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 left the Raiders as the least entertaining and directionless franchise in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't appoint veteran coach Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a championship and a college national championship, to oversee a long slog back up the league table. He was supposed to return the team to relevance and then hand them off with a solid foundation in place. Conversely, Carroll is facing the possibility of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Organizational Dysfunction

This is not all Brady's fault, of course. The majority owner is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has churned through coaches and executives at a rate that would make even the Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a instability that has erased any coherent long-term vision. Nevertheless, it's Brady's fingerprints that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," NFL Insider a prominent journalist said last offseason. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll said of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his chance to leave his mark on a team."

Brady made the crucial appointments and placed the Raiders on this rudderless course. He hired a close associate, his former teammate and colleague in Tampa, to serve as GM. He approved a roster plan to the coach's specifications, including dealing a draft selection for Smith and selecting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a poor-performing O-line. He recruited Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the top-earning offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he approved handing a unreliable offensive line – the bedrock for that coordinator and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.

Disastrous Results

It has become a disaster. The previous year's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were scrappy and resilient. This year's Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has implemented an outdated defensive philosophy, the quarterback looks past his prime and the Raiders' offensive line has submarined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty and the run game. If nothing else, Carroll was supposed to bring energy. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, counting down the plays to the conclusion of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was pronounced. The situation often seems dire with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. Their star defender, now just five sacks away from the league all-time mark, leads a formidable defense. And there is positive outlook around the stellar-looking rookie class that includes two potential stars – a dynamic runner at running back and a skilled defender at linebacker. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be The Answer at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the short-term.

Granted, it was against the Raiders' defense, but Sanders showed that the NFL level was not too big for him. With a full week to prepare, he was solid, accepting what the defense gave him and displaying glimpses of improvisation. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his first start since 1995.

Lack of Vision

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class represent promise. That's a reflection the Raiders should avoid. Successful franchises recognize their situation in the ecosystem: you're either a contender, a frisky playoff team, 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 failed to adjust during the season. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing rookies to find out what they have for the coming years. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has apparently already been tension between the coaching staff and the front office regarding the limited playing time for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the o-line being a weak point. Rookie receivers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine catches in 11 games, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on the defensive side over young players in need of experience.

Unclear Direction

Where is the path forward? Will the coach return or the GM or the quarterback? And who actually makes those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise operate when its primary influencer logs in occasionally, signs off major organizational decisions, and then disappears on side quests?

It will prove a challenge for the Raiders to get better – and they are in a conference stacked with consistently successful teams. At the same time, other rebuilders have paths. The New York Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No franchise QB. No identity. No strategic vision.

The only thing more dangerous than being bad in the NFL is not knowing you're underperforming. The Raiders lack clarity on where they are, what they are building, or who will make decisions in the offseason.

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