HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders are starting over — again.
After firing head coach Antonio Pierce on Tuesday, the Raiders fired general manager Tom Telesco on Thursday. The initial plan was to retain Telesco, but the more owner Mark Davis, minority owner Tom Brady and other decision-makers talked during meetings in Las Vegas on Wednesday, league sources said, they decided it was time to begin anew at GM as well.
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According to league sources, the primary reason for parting ways with Telesco was having the opportunity to start with a clean slate. Las Vegas’ next general manager and head coach will be on the same timeline from the jump.
The Raiders are scheduled to virtually interview Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson on Friday. They also plan to interview former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh at a date to be determined. Las Vegas has also requested interviews with Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
This marks the third time since 2022 that the Raiders are searching for a GM and head coach in the same offseason. The next GM will be the fifth that Davis has hired since becoming the franchise’s controlling owner in 2011.
Here are 10 candidates the Raiders could pursue to fill their GM vacancy.
Buccaneers assistant GM John Spytek
Previously Tampa Bay’s director of player personnel, Spytek contributed to the acquisitions of Jason Pierre-Paul, Ndamukong Suh, Shaquil Barrett, Rob Gronkowski and, of course, Tom Brady, that helped the franchise win Super Bowl LV. He was promoted to his current role in 2023, which expanded his reach to all personnel decisions. He played a key role in bringing in Baker Mayfield in 2023 after Brady retired along with the rest of the roster moves that have helped the Buccaneers secure their fifth consecutive playoff berth this season. Not only does he have the Brady connection, but he’s shown he’s capable of success without the future Hall of Fame quarterback. The Raiders interviewed Spytek for their GM vacancy in 2022 before hiring Dave Ziegler. They would be wise to bring him in again.
Giants executive advisor to the GM Ryan Cowden
The Raiders don’t have an interview in place with former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, and they may never get the chance to. Vrabel has already interviewed with the New York Jets, Chicago Bears and New England Patriots and could soon be off the market. If the Raiders are going to pursue Vrabel, though, it would make sense to interview Cowden. The 46-year-old was the Titans’ interim GM in 2022, and Vrabel told The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt that he wanted Cowden to get the full-time role. The Titans not only went in another direction but fired Cowden after the 2022 season and let Vrabel go following the 2023 campaign. Perhaps the two could reunite with the Raiders. The Jets also interviewed Cowden, so they could have the same idea.
Vikings senior vice president of player personnel Ryan Grigson
Grigson was the Indianapolis Colts’ GM from 2012 to 2016, posted a 49-31 record and made three playoff appearances. But he developed a reputation for having an abrasive personality and hasn’t gotten a second chance. He joined the Vikings in 2022 and helped them become one of the NFL’s best teams, however, so that could change. Grigson has a strong relationship with Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, whom the Raiders may consider for their head coach opening. Maybe the Raiders end up interviewing them both.
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Bills director of player personnel Terrance Gray
In the role he’s held since 2022, Gray has mostly focused on pro personnel. But he also spent 11 years as a college scout for the Vikings before coming to Buffalo, so he knows how to scout both for veteran acquisitions and the draft. The Bills have made the playoffs six seasons in a row and are one of the NFL’s premier franchises, so it’s no surprise that Gray is a rising GM candidate. He interviewed with the Raiders in 2024 before they hired Telesco, and the Titans have requested an interview with Gray for their current GM vacancy. It’s easy to see the Raiders again bringing Gray in for an interview.
Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham
Cunningham has been a GM candidate for years now, and that trend has continued as the Titans have requested to interview him for their vacancy. While the Bears haven’t won many games since he joined the franchise in 2022, he was an executive with the Super Bowl-winning Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles teams. Ironically, Brady was on the wrong side of that Super Bowl LII victory. Cunningham is a quality candidate worthy of an interview.
Leading off a new batch of “The Playcallers”: Chicago Bears asst. GM Ian Cunningham
His background in education and psychology, self-awareness in decision-making, how arguments can be beneficial, the timing of team building and much more!
🟢— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) October 1, 2024
49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams
Williams spent most of his 14 seasons with the 49ers in college scouting, but his current role was broadened to include pro and college scouting, player development and contract negotiations. The 49ers took a step back this year, but Williams had a hand in the strong drafts that fueled four playoff runs from 2019 to 2023 that included two Super Bowl appearances. He’s a young, up-and-coming candidate, and this would require the Raiders to bet on his long-term potential.
Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi
Borgonzi has spent all 16 of his seasons as an NFL executive with the Chiefs, which means he’s played a hand in building rosters that have made 11 playoff appearances and won three Super Bowls. The Jets interviewed Borgonzi, and the Titans have requested an interview with him. All Borgonzi has done is win. The Raiders may think he can bring that to Las Vegas while also weakening the Chiefs front office in the process.
Raiders assistant GM Champ Kelly
Kelly was the Raiders’ interim GM in 2023 and seemed well on his way to landing the full-time job, but the brass was nervous about pairing a first-time GM with a first-time head coach in Pierce. Kelly stuck around as the assistant GM this season, and he still has his sights set on becoming a GM one day. He’s already interviewed with the Raiders twice — once in 2022 and again last year. Maybe the third time’s the charm.
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Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown
The Raiders have interviewed Brown for a GM vacancy three times — in 2019, 2022 and 2024. He could get his fourth shot this year, and he’s also received an interview request from the Jets. He’s been with the Bengals since 2021, so he helped turn them from NFL bottom-dwellers into a team that made the Super Bowl in 2021 and the AFC Championship Game in 2022. He began his NFL executive career with the Patriots in 2010 as a scouting assistant and remained with the franchise through the 2012 season, so he spent three years working in the same building as Brady. That connection, plus the Raiders’ previous history interviewing Brown, makes him a sensible candidate to bring in.
Commanders assistant GM Lance Newmark
Newmark was hired by the Commanders in 2024 and helped them leap from a 4-13 record to a 12-5 mark and a playoff berth this season. Before that, he spent 26 years with the Detroit Lions, where he was most recently the senior director of player personnel. That means he overlapped with Johnson, whom the Raiders are scheduled to interview virtually on Friday for their coaching vacancy. Newmark also worked with Glenn, who’s a head-coaching candidate in his own right. If the Raiders land Johnson or Glenn, Newmark could be a sensible GM pairing if the goal is to maximize familiarity.
(Photo of Champ Kelly: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)