The Las Vegas Raiders were expected to turn things around during the 2025 NFL season, as Pete Carroll and John Spytek were ushering in a new era for the Silver and Black. Oh, and minority owner Tom Brady was the franchise's ace in the hole.
Most of these moves, along with the addition of Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator and Geno Smith as quarterback, were highly praised during the offseason. But things have been a dumpster fire this year, as the team has seemingly been worse than they were in 2024.
There is plenty of blame to go around for the Raiders' shortcomings, as everyone from the front office to the coaching staff to the players has helped create this mess. Making matters worse, there is truly no end in sight, as Las Vegas has very few building blocks on the roster.
Polarizing sports commentator Stephen A. Smith recently made a suggestion regarding Brady that will leave Raider Nation split.
Stephen A. Smith's Tom Brady suggestion will divide Raider Nation
While Brady is widely considered the greatest quarterback of all time, he has not yet proven that he can be a successful owner. His first full season as part of the Raiders' ownership group is evidence of this, as the year has been a disaster. Brady was also blamed for the hiring of Kelly as the play-caller.
That didn't stop Stephen A. Smith from suggesting that Brady take over football operations in Las Vegas during Monday's episode of First Take.
"They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but the Raiders are so awful right now that the stench has circulated throughout the country. Every football city recognizes how awful they have been," Smith said. "Put Tom Brady in charge, Mark Davis, just hand over the whole -- I don't care about him being just a part owner, hand over football operations to Tom Brady, okay? Not that you can, because he's not going to leave the job that he's got at FOX (Sports), paying him over $37 million to run the damn Raiders. He ain't stupid at all, but ask him anyway. Figure out something, because you need all the help you can get. The Raiders are awful."
There are several issues with Smith's argument. First off, as he pointed out, Brady's job at FOX Sports would hinder him from leading football operations. Secondly, just because he is an all-time great player doesn't mean that it would translate to great ownership.
Fans saw that when Michael Jordan, who is widely considered the greatest basketball player of al time, led the Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets.
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Also, Mark Davis has hired people to run football operations and has been open about how he doesn't have the same role as his late father. Brady purchased a 5% stake in the team; however, Smith's comments suggest that he should be given full control simply because of his background as a player.
While having a legend of the sport in the building certainly doesn't hurt, it also doesn't guarantee success. The focus should be on finding the right head coach to lead the team through the rebuild, and giving John Spytek some time to implement his vision.
Just this offseason, fans have seen three teams make the right coaching hires and have immediate success. The New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars both finished 4-13 last season, while the Chicago Bears finished 5-12.
After hiring Mike Vrabel, Liam Coen, and Ben Johnson, respectively, the teams sit at 11-3, 10-4, and 10-4, and all appear destined for the postseason. The problem is that Las Vegas doesn't have a highly drafted quarterback on their roster in the same way that those franchises did.
However, there is a very strong chance the franchise lands the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Nailing that pick and the next coaching hire will, ultimately, be the route to turning things around.
Brady should certainly have input in those decisions, but it wouldn't be wise to give him unilateral control of the process when he hasn't proven that it is his area of expertise.