After a disappointing campaign in the previous NFL season, the Las Vegas Raiders are looking to make a change and steer the franchise in a new direction. To do so, Tom Brady added a familiar face from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with whom he won a Super Bowl, and together they are beginning to shape the team’s structure from top to bottom.
After several meetings, it seems that the new general manager of the Raiders will be none other than John Spytek. The interesting detail? Spytek and Brady were teammates at Michigan Wolverines back in 1999.
The news was announced by NFL insider Adam Schefter, who, through his X (formerly Twitter) account @AdamSchefter, confirmed that only a few details remain to finalize the arrival of the former GM assistant with the Bucs to Las Vegas.
“A new leader in Las Vegas: Raiders are finalizing a deal to hire Buccaneers assistant GM John Spytek as their new general manager, per sources,” the reporter stated via X.
“John Spytek and Tom Brady both played at Michigan in 1999, then were together in Tampa when Brady led the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title. Now they join forces again in Las Vegas,” Schefter also added.
Spytek’s first big objective
One of Spytek’s main objectives once he takes over as GM of the Raiders will undoubtedly be hiring the next head coach of the team. After Antonio Pierce’s departure as head coach, everything went downhill, and now it’s time to take the bull by the horns and build a competitive roster.
Although there have already been several contacts with various candidates for the position, the truth is that nothing has been finalized regarding this situation. Pete Carroll, Ron Rivera, Robert Saleh, and Vance Joseph are some of the names being considered to become the new HC, according to ESPN.com.
Both Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn also had serious chances; however, Johnson ultimately finalized his move to the Chicago Bears, while Glenn became the new HC of the New York Jets.
Spytek and Brady’s relationship
It won’t be the first time John Spytek and Tom Brady work together. The two know each other from their time at Michigan Wolverines during their college years, and they also achieved a major goal together with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Back then, Brady was the starting quarterback of the team that won the Super Bowl under Bruce Arians, while Spytek was promoted to vice president of player personnel in 2021 and then to assistant GM in 2023.
Spytek’s experience in the NFL
Although the GM position is undoubtedly the most important since his arrival in the NFL, this is not his first experience working with franchises. He began as an operations intern with the Detroit Lions in 2004 before working as a player personnel intern with the Eagles in 2005. He also worked for the Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns before joining the Buccaneers in 2016 as their director of player personnel.