After days of silence from the Las Vegas Raiders' hiring committee, the group finally made a decision on Wednesday morning.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network confirmed that the Raiders are expected to hire John Spytek as the team's next General Manager, who was both a teammate of Tom Brady at the University of Michigan, and was pivotal in acquiring Brady from the New England Patriots in 2020.
Sources: The #Raiders are expected to hire #Bucs assistant GM John Spytek as their new general manager.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 22, 2025
A top lieutenant for GM Jason Licht, Spytek is respected for helping build the #Bucs… including when they won the Super Bowl with Tom Brady, a #Raiders limited partner. pic.twitter.com/Cypg6mvr25
Spytek has been the assistant GM for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the last two seasons and worked with the franchise for the last nine. His 21 years of experience in NFL front offices are sure to benefit any coach that the Raiders are targeting for their vacancy.
In his nine years with the Buccaneers, he was a crucial part of the executive operation, providing help with the NFL Draft, free agency, and other personnel decisions. He oversaw both the pro and college scouting departments during his tenure.
While Spytek was a member of the front office, the Buccaneers went to the playoffs five times, including four division titles, and won six playoff games, including Super Bowl LV against the Kansas City Chiefs.
He was responsible for the acquisitions of both Brady and Baker Mayfield in free agency, as well as Pro Bowlers like Akiem Hicks and Keanu Neal.
As far as the draft, he was responsible for selecting Pro Bowl players like Vita Vea, Chris Godwin, Matt Gay, and Devin White while also helping draft two All-Pro players in Tristan Wirfs and Antoine Winfield Jr.
Spytek was able to acquire Brady and Rob Gronkowski, win a Super Bowl with them, and then navigate the tricky cap situation they found themselves in after they retired. Spytek was able to find another franchise quarterback in Mayfield while also resigning perennial stars like Mike Evans and Lavonte David, and kept their top talent in-house with Wirfs and Winfield resigning.
This is the first domino to fall in a busy offseason for the Raiders, but they still have a vacancy for head coach. This was an important piece of the puzzle, however, because nailing the GM hire is critical for a franchise that needs to rebuild.
John Spytek is a person that Brady trusts, and he has the track record to back up the hype. Let's hope he can bring the same magic to Las Vegas.