The Las Vegas Raiders endured a forgettable 2025 season, finishing with the NFL’s worst record and earning the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Now, minority owner Tom Brady is making it clear that anything less than significant progress in 2026 will be unacceptable.
Tom Brady offered a candid assessment of the Raiders’ disappointing campaign. “I would expect a lot of improvement from where it’s been,” Brady said. “Last year, we just underperformed in every area. And it’s everybody’s fault. That’s the reality. There’s nobody who did a good job. There’s not one player in the organization, there’s not anybody involved that did the job to the level that it needs to be done at.”
Rather than distancing himself from the team’s struggles, Brady accepted responsibility despite serving in an ownership role.
“Everybody needs to improve. And it starts with me, and it filters down to the rest of the players on the field, and they’ve got to go out there, and ultimately they’ve got to perform at a high level.”
While stars such as Maxx Crosby and Brock Bowers enjoyed standout individual seasons, Brady’s message focused on the collective performance rather than individual accomplishments.
Improvement Must Be Daily
When asked how many games the Raiders should win in 2026, Brady declined to offer a prediction. Instead, he emphasized consistent growth throughout the season.
“A massive improvement,” Brady said. “And I would expect daily improvement, and I’d expect hourly improvement.” Brady explained that successful NFL teams steadily improve as the season progresses.
“Every day that goes by, when you’re on a good team, every day and every week goes by, you should be better. A good team should be better at the end of the season than the beginning of the season, or you’re not a good team.”
According to Brady, additional practices and time together should naturally lead to better execution. “If you have more time, more practice, you should be getting better. If you’re getting worse, something’s wrong.”
New Era in Las Vegas
The Raiders enter the 2026 season with a dramatically different outlook than a year ago. After selecting quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick, Las Vegas also added veteran Kirk Cousins to stabilize the quarterback room while first-year head coach Klint Kubiak begins implementing his system.
Tom Brady has played a significant role in reshaping the organization’s football operations since becoming a minority owner, helping influence major personnel decisions while working alongside owner Mark Davis.
Although Brady remains committed to his broadcasting duties with Fox Sports, his influence within the Raiders organization continues to grow.
His expectations are clear. Improvement won’t simply be measured by victories. It will be measured by how quickly the Raiders develop, how consistently they compete, and whether they build the type of culture Brady spent more than two decades helping create during his Hall of Fame career.
After a season that ended with the league’s worst record, Brady believes the only acceptable direction for the Silver and Black is forward.
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Robert LaMar is a Deputy Editor for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
