The Las Vegas Raiders are expected to hire Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant general manager John Spytek as their next GM, according to team and league sources.
Spytek will replace Tom Telesco, who was let go along with head coach Antonio Pierce earlier this month after a 4-13 season.
Spytek has worked for the Bucs since becoming their director of player personnel in 2016. That’s the role he held when he helped Tampa Bay sign former quarterback Tom Brady in 2020. Brady’s reasons for signing with the Bucs were multifaceted, but it didn’t hurt to reunite with his former University of Michigan teammate.
Brady, now a minority owner of the Raiders, led the push to hire Spytek, according to team and league sources. The Raiders interviewed six GM candidates overall, with Washington Commanders assistant GM Lance Newmark, New York Giants assistant GM Brandon Brown and Los Angeles Chargers assistant GM Chad Alexander landing in-person interviews. Ultimately, though, the Raiders went with Spytek.
The Raiders were making an aggressive push to hire Ben Johnson as their next head coach before the former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator decided to take the Chicago Bears’ job instead Monday. The belief was he would’ve been paired with Newmark, who the Raiders interviewed Sunday.
After missing out on Johnson, the franchise took some time to reevaluate its course of action before hiring Spytek. Now, Spytek will join the Raiders’ brass in helping identify a head coach.
Former Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn was another head coach candidate for the Raiders, but he took the New York Jets’ job on Wednesday.
That leaves the Raiders with five head coach candidates who they’ve interviewed: Former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll (in person), former Jets head coach Robert Saleh (in person), former Carolina Panthers and Commanders head coach Ron Rivera (in person), Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph (virtually) and Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo (virtually). They’ve requested an interview with Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, but that hasn’t happened yet. Carroll is believed to be the front runner, according to team and league sources, but Spytek could have the opportunity to influence the decision.
With Spytek onboard, perhaps the Raiders consider additional options at head coach. He has ties to Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen, but it looks like Coen is staying put in Tampa Bay after signing an extension Wednesday. There are still other intriguing options, however, such as former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, who could potentially join the fray.
During his time with the Bucs, Spytek also helped them find success beyond their Super Bowl LV win with Brady. He was promoted to vice player of personnel in 2021 and was bumped to assistant GM in 2023. After Brady retired following the 2022 season, Spytek helped the Bucs identify quarterback Baker Mayfield, who guided Tampa Bay to back-to-back playoff appearances in 2023 and 2024.
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