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

Tom Brady dedicated over two decades to a singular mission: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He achieved that goal. Today, in his post-playing career, Brady has explored various pursuits. He serves as a commentator for Fox. He's engaged in development ventures in Birmingham. He has promoted digital assets. He's spreading the NFL to Saudi Arabia. He maintains a popular YouTube channel. He replicated his dog. Brady's post-career activities appear either diverse or aimless, depending on your viewpoint.

Secondary ventures are understandable. But overseeing a NFL team is not a part-time job. In addition to his various responsibilities, Brady also serves as the unofficial decision-maker for the Las Vegas franchise, currently the most hapless team in the NFL.

The Raiders dropped to 2–9 on this past weekend 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 QB making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offensive unit averaged less than three yards per play before garbage-time action in the fourth quarter. Geno Smith was tackled 10 times and was pressured 46 times, a season record for any team this year. On defense, Las Vegas surrendered big plays to a Cleveland offensive unit that has been dysfunctional for the majority of the season. Any way you slice it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. At least Brady didn't have to witness it. The architect of this current situation was sitting in Dallas on the network coverage for Eagles-Cowboys.

A Series of Questionable Decisions

In fairness to Brady, he has only spent one season leading the team's personnel choices, after becoming a minority owner of the franchise in 2024. But he was responsible for every major decision last offseason, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those moves have resulted in the Raiders as the most unwatchable and aimless team in the NFL.

This wasn't expected to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't hire veteran coach Pete Carroll, among a select group to win both a championship and a NCAA title, to oversee a protracted process back up the league table. He was expected to restore the team to competitiveness and then hand them off with a stable base in place. Conversely, Carroll is staring at the possibility of being fired after one season in Vegas, and the Raiders are looking at another restart.

Organizational Turmoil

This isn't all Brady's fault, naturally. The majority owner is still the majority owner. Davis has churned through head coaches and front-office heads at a rate that would make even the Jets feel embarrassed. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a instability that has eliminated any clear strategic direction. Nevertheless, it's Brady's fingerprints that are all over this version of the Raiders. "This is the Brady's project," NFL Insider a prominent journalist said 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 made the crucial appointments and set the Raiders on this directionless path. He appointed a close associate, his college buddy and colleague in Tampa, to act as GM. He approved a team strategy to Carroll's preference, including trading a draft selection for Smith and drafting a RB No 6 overall despite having a poor-performing O-line. He lured Chip Kelly away from the NCAA, making him the top-earning OC in the league. And he approved handing a flaky offensive line – the foundation for that coach and ball carrier – to the coach's family member.

Catastrophic Results

It has become a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a four-win team, but they were competitive and resilient. The current Raiders are a confused mess. Carroll has implemented an old-fashioned defensive scheme, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' blocking unit has submarined any hopes for Ashton Jeanty and the run game. At the very least, Carroll was expected to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, waiting for the plays to the end of the game.

The difference 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 NFL single-season record, leads a formidable defense. And there is optimism around the stellar-looking first-year players that includes multiple promising talents – Quinshon Judkins at RB and a skilled defender at LB. There is also the rookie QB, who may not be the permanent solution at QB, but who is An Answer in the short-term.

Admittedly, it was against the Raiders' defense, but Sanders demonstrated that the NFL level was not too big for him. With a complete preparation period to get ready, he was solid, accepting what the defense gave him and showing flashes of improvisation. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start since 1995.

Lack of Direction

Sanders and the rest of the Browns' first-year players represent future potential. That's a reflection the Raiders don't want to look into. Good organizations understand their situation in the ecosystem: you're either a contender, a competitive squad, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a couple of moves away from respectability. In spite of the clear indications to the contrary, they haven't pivoted during the season. Similar to the Browns, Vegas should be throwing out 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 coaching staff and the management regarding the limited playing time for two rookie offensive linemen, despite the offensive line being a weak point. Rookie receivers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have combined for nine receptions in eleven contests, despite the lack of spark in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to roll out grizzled vets on defense over young players in need of experience.

Uncertain Future

Where is the path forward? Will Carroll be back or Spytek or the quarterback? And who actually makes those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its primary influencer participates sporadically, approves franchise-altering moves, and then disappears on side quests?

It's going to be a challenge for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a conference stacked with consistently successful teams. Meanwhile, other rebuilders have clear trajectories. The Jets are loaded with upcoming selections. The Tennessee and New York have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. No foundation. No quarterback. No identity. No plan.

The single factor more problematic than being ineffective in the NFL is not recognizing you're underperforming. The Raiders don't know where they are, what they are building, or who will call the shots in the summer.

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