After hiring Antonio Pierce as their new head coach, the Las Vegas Raiders reportedly filled their general manager vacancy. According to multiple reports, the Raiders are looking to hire former Los Angeles Chargers GM Tom Telesco to take over the team’s front office.
Telesco served 11 seasons as the general manager of the Chargers, who play in the AFC West just like the Chargers, before being fired at the end of the 2023 regular season alongside head coach Brandon Staley.
The Raiders had a GM vacancy since making an organizational sweep in October by moving on from head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler. Owner Mark Davis initially targeted up-and-coming candidates around the league in recent weeks, but his opinion changed after hiring Pierce, who succeeded McDaniels on an interim basis, as the full-time head coach.
Davis reportedly didn’t want to pair up a first-year head coach with a first-year general manager. He put more focus on experienced candidates, and Telesco, who worked in the NFL for more than three decades, stood out as a perfect pairing with Pierce.
Tom Telesco started out as an intern with the Buffalo Bills in 1991 before moving on to serve in different roles, including area scout, with the Carolina Panthers and the Indianapolis Colts. Telesco was elevated to director of player personnel with the Colts in 2006 and held the job until 2012, when he was promoted to Vice president of football operations.
In 2013, Telesco was hired to serve as the general manager of the Chargers. During his time in the front office, the Chargers went 79-83 in the regular season and were 2-3 in three playoff appearances.
