Brady's Side Role with the Raiders: An Unsettling Scenario
Tom Brady committed over two decades to a unwavering objective: establishing himself as the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He achieved that goal. Now, in his post-playing career, Brady has ventured into numerous pursuits. He works as a commentator for a major network. He's involved in construction projects in Birmingham. He has endorsed digital assets. He's expanding American football to the Middle East. He maintains a popular YouTube channel. He replicated his family pet. Brady's retirement ventures appear either eclectic or aimless, based on your perspective.
Side projects are understandable. But overseeing a professional franchise is not a casual commitment. In addition to his other roles, Brady also serves as the de facto decision-maker for the Raiders, presently the most hapless team in the league.
The Raiders fell to 2–9 on this past weekend after suffering a decisive loss to the Browns. The Raiders didn't just lose; they were humiliated by a struggling team with a QB making his first NFL start. The Raiders' offense averaged less than three yards per play before meaningless plays in the fourth quarter. Geno Smith was tackled 10 times and faced pressure 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 ineffective for the majority of the campaign. Any way you slice it, it was a comprehensive beatdown. Fortunately 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 Collection of Dubious Decisions
To be fair to Brady, he has only been involved for a year guiding the team's football decisions, becoming a partial stakeholder of the franchise in 2024. But he was accountable for every significant move last offseason, and each one has proven unsuccessful. Those moves have left the Raiders as the most unwatchable and directionless team in the league.
This wasn't supposed to be a lengthy reconstruction. The Raiders didn't appoint 74-year-old 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 facing the prospect 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, of course. The majority owner is still the controlling stakeholder. Davis has cycled through head coaches and front-office heads at a rate that would make even the Jets blush. The Raiders are on their seventh head coach and fifth GM in 15 years, a turnover rate that has erased any coherent long-term vision. Still, it's Brady's influence that are evident throughout this iteration of the Raiders. "This is the Tom Brady show," league reporter Tom Pelissero commented last summer. "He's been integrally involved," Carroll stated of Brady at his introductory news conference in January. "This is his chance to put his stamp on a team."
Brady made the crucial appointments and set the Raiders on this rudderless course. He appointed a close associate, his former teammate and colleague in Tampa, to act as GM. He greenlit a team strategy to Carroll's preference, including trading a draft selection for Smith and selecting 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 offensive coordinator in the NFL. And he approved entrusting a flaky blocking unit – the bedrock for that coordinator and ball carrier – to Carroll's son.
Catastrophic Outcomes
It's been a disaster. Last season's Raiders were a team with limited success, but they were competitive and competitive. The current Raiders are a disorganized situation. Carroll has installed an old-fashioned defensive philosophy, Smith looks washed and the Raiders' blocking unit has submarined any aspirations for Ashton Jeanty and the run game. If nothing else, Carroll was expected to bring enthusiasm. But the Raiders were lifeless on Sunday, waiting for the plays to the conclusion of the game.
The contrast with Cleveland was pronounced. Things are always bleak with the Browns, but there are glimmers of optimism. Myles Garrett, now just five quarterback takedowns away from the league single-season record, leads a formidable defense. And there is positive outlook around the impressive rookie class that includes multiple promising talents – a dynamic runner at RB and a skilled defender at LB. There is also Shedeur Sanders, who may not be The Answer at quarterback, but who is An Answer in the immediate future.
Admittedly, it was facing the Raiders' defensive unit, but Sanders showed that the stage 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 glimpses of improvisation. Sanders became the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his debut game since 1995.
Absence of Vision
Sanders and the rest of the Browns' rookie class represent future potential. That's a reflection the Raiders don't want to look into. Successful franchises understand their position in the ecosystem: you're either a championship candidate, a competitive squad, or undergoing reconstruction. Vegas entered 2025 thinking they were a few adjustments away from respectability. In spite of the overwhelming evidence otherwise, they failed to adjust midstream. Like Cleveland, Vegas should be playing young players to find out what they have for the coming years. But only two first-year players have seen significant action. There has reportedly already been disagreement between the coaches and the front office regarding the limited playing time for two young blockers, despite the o-line being a sieve. Rookie receivers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr have totaled nine receptions in 11 games, despite the lack of spark in the aerial attack. Carroll continues to utilize grizzled vets on defense over rookies in need of reps.
Uncertain Future
Where is the path forward? Will the coach return or Spytek or the quarterback? And who actually makes those decisions, Brady or Davis? How can a team operate when its most powerful decision-maker logs in occasionally, approves major organizational decisions, and then vanishes on side quests?
It will prove a challenge for the Raiders to improve – and they are in a division stacked with consistently successful teams. Meanwhile, other reconstructing teams have clear trajectories. The New York Jets are stocked with upcoming selections. The Tennessee and New York have promising young quarterbacks. The Raiders have little to build upon. No core. No quarterback. No identity. No strategic vision.
The only thing more problematic than being bad in the NFL is not knowing you're bad. The Raiders lack clarity on where they are, what they are developing, 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.