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

Tom Brady committed 23 NFL seasons to a unwavering objective: establishing himself as the most accomplished QB in league history. He achieved that goal. Today, in retirement, Brady has ventured into various endeavors. He serves as a commentator for Fox. He's involved in development ventures in the UK. He has endorsed digital assets. He's expanding the NFL to the Middle East. He maintains a popular YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's post-career activities appear either diverse or unfocused, depending on your viewpoint.

Side projects are understandable. But managing a NFL team is hardly a casual commitment. Alongside his other roles, Brady functions as the de facto decision-maker for the Las Vegas franchise, presently the most hapless team in the NFL.

The Raiders fell to 2–9 on this past weekend after enduring a 24-10 defeat to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were embarrassed by a underperforming team with a QB making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offense averaged less than three yards per play before meaningless action in the final period. Their quarterback was tackled 10 times and faced pressure 46 times, a single-game high for any franchise this year. On defense, Las Vegas surrendered big plays 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. At least Brady didn't have to watch. The primary decision-maker of this current situation was working in Dallas on the Fox broadcast for another game.

A Series of Questionable Decisions

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 offseason, and each one has backfired. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the least entertaining and directionless team in the league.

This wasn't supposed to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't hire veteran coach Pete Carroll, one of only three coaches to win both a championship and a NCAA title, 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. Conversely, Carroll is staring at the possibility of being one-and-done in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another reboot.

Organizational Turmoil

This is not entirely Brady's responsibility, of course. The majority owner is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has cycled through head coaches and executives at a speed that would make even the New York Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth general manager in 15 years, a instability that has eliminated 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," league reporter Tom Pelissero commented last summer. "He's been deeply engaged," Carroll stated of Brady at his first press conference in January. "This is his opportunity to leave his mark on a team."

Brady made the key hires and placed the Raiders on this rudderless course. He appointed John Spytek, his former teammate and co-worker in Tampa, to serve as GM. He approved a team strategy to Carroll's preference, including trading a third-round pick for Geno Smith and drafting a RB with the sixth pick despite having a poor-performing offensive line. He lured Chip Kelly away from the college ranks, making him the top-earning OC in the league. And he signed off on handing a unreliable offensive line – the foundation for that coach and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Results

It's been a complete failure. The previous year's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and competitive. This year's Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has installed an outdated defensive scheme, the quarterback looks past his prime and the Raiders' blocking unit has submarined any aspirations for their rookie and the ground attack. If nothing else, Carroll was expected to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were uninspired on Sunday, waiting for the snaps to the end of the game.

The contrast with Cleveland was stark. Things are always bleak 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 dominant defensive unit. And there is positive outlook around the impressive first-year players that includes two potential stars – a dynamic runner at running back and a skilled defender at LB. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be the permanent solution at QB, but who is a viable option 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 complete preparation period to get ready, he was solid, taking what the defense gave him and showing glimpses of improvisation. Sanders became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut game since 1995.

Lack of Direction

The rookie quarterback and his classmates of the Browns' rookie class represent promise. That's a reflection the Raiders don't want to look into. Good organizations understand their position in the league hierarchy: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a few adjustments away from competitiveness. In spite of the clear indications otherwise, they haven't pivoted midstream. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be playing rookies to discover what they have for the future. But only two rookies have seen real playing time. There has apparently already been tension between the coaches and the management regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a sieve. Rookie receivers two young talents have totaled nine receptions in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the passing game. Carroll continues to roll out experienced veterans on the defensive side over young players in need of experience.

Uncertain Future

Where is the future direction? Will Carroll be back or the GM or the quarterback? And who truly decides those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its most powerful decision-maker logs in occasionally, signs off major organizational decisions, and then vanishes on side quests?

It's going to be a challenge for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a division filled with perennial playoff contenders. Meanwhile, other rebuilders have clear trajectories. The Jets are stocked with upcoming selections. The Tennessee and New York have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have nothing. No foundation. No franchise QB. No identity. No strategic vision.

The single factor more problematic than being bad in the NFL is not recognizing you're underperforming. The Raiders lack clarity on where they are, what they are building, or who will make decisions in the summer.

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