Tom Brady's Side Role with the Raiders: A Chaotic Scenario

Tom Brady committed over two decades to a singular objective: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in league history. He achieved that goal. Now, in retirement, Brady has explored various endeavors. He works as a commentator for a major network. He's involved in construction projects in the UK. He has endorsed digital assets. He's expanding the NFL to the Middle East. He operates a successful YouTube channel. He replicated his dog. Brady's retirement activities appear either eclectic or unfocused, depending on your viewpoint.

Side projects are one thing. But overseeing a NFL team is not a casual commitment. Alongside his other roles, Brady functions as the unofficial football leader for the Las Vegas franchise, presently the least successful team in the NFL.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on Sunday after enduring a 24-10 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were embarrassed by a underperforming team with a quarterback making his professional debut. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged 2.9 yards per play before meaningless action in the final period. Geno Smith was sacked 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a season record for any franchise this season. On defense, Las Vegas surrendered significant gains to a Cleveland offense that has been dysfunctional 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 latest Vegas mess was working in Dallas on the network coverage for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Series of Dubious Choices

In fairness to Brady, he has only been involved for a year guiding the team's personnel choices, becoming a minority owner of the franchise in 2024. But he was responsible for every significant move last summer, and each one has backfired. Those decisions have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless team in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a multi-year rebuild. The Raiders didn't appoint veteran coach Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a championship and a NCAA title, to manage a long slog back up the league table. He was expected to return the team to relevance and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Conversely, Carroll is facing the possibility of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Franchise Turmoil

This isn't all Brady's fault, naturally. Mark Davis is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has churned through coaches and executives 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 turnover rate that has eliminated any clear strategic direction. Nevertheless, it's Brady's influence that are all over this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter Tom Pelissero commented last summer. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll said of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his opportunity to put his stamp on a franchise."

Brady was responsible for the crucial appointments and set the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed a close associate, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to serve as GM. He greenlit a team strategy to Carroll's preference, including dealing a draft selection 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 NCAA, making him the highest-paid OC in the NFL. And he approved entrusting a unreliable offensive line – the foundation for that coordinator and running back – to Carroll's son.

Catastrophic Results

It's been a complete failure. The previous year's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and competitive. This year's Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive scheme, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' offensive line has submarined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty and the ground attack. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring energy. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, counting down the snaps to the end of the game.

The difference with Cleveland was stark. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are embers of hope. 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 rookie class that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at RB and a skilled defender at LB. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be The Answer at QB, but who is a viable option in the immediate future.

Admittedly, it was against the Raiders' defense, but Sanders showed that the NFL level was not overwhelming for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was effective, accepting what the defense gave him and displaying flashes of improvisation. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Vision

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' first-year players symbolize future potential. That's a reflection the Raiders don't want to look into. Successful franchises recognize their position in the league hierarchy: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas began the season thinking they were a few adjustments away from competitiveness. In spite of the clear indications to the contrary, they failed to adjust during the season. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing rookies to discover what they have for the coming years. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has reportedly already been tension between the coaches and the front office regarding the limited playing time for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the offensive line being a weak point. Rookie receivers two young talents have combined for nine catches in 11 games, despite the ineffectiveness in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize experienced veterans on defense over young players in need of experience.

Unclear Direction

What is the path forward? Will Carroll be back or Spytek or the quarterback? And who truly decides those choices, Brady or Davis? How can a franchise function when its most powerful decision-maker participates sporadically, signs off major organizational decisions, and then vanishes on other projects?

It's going to be a challenge for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a conference filled with consistently successful teams. Meanwhile, other rebuilders have paths. The Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Titans and Giants have talented young QBs. The Raiders have little to build upon. No core. No quarterback. No identity. No plan.

The single factor more dangerous than being ineffective in the NFL is not recognizing you're bad. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are developing, or who will make decisions in the offseason.

Tom Brady once mastered football through ruthless focus. The Raiders could use more than an hour of it.