Bucs assistant GM John Spytek to be hired as Raiders general manager

Rick Stroud, Tampa Bay Times on Jan 22, 2025

Published in Football

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TAMPA, Fla. — John Spytek was instrumental in a secret plan to bring Tom Brady to Tampa Bay, and his former Michigan teammate rewarded that decision by winning Super Bowl 55 with the Buccaneers.

Now, Brady is hoping Spytek can do the same for the Las Vegas Raiders.

Spytek will be hired as the Raiders general manager, reuniting the Bucs assistant GM with Brady, who is a minority owner of the Las Vegas club but a big voice in this decision.

For the past nine seasons, Spytek played a significant role in the personnel decisions, both in the draft and free agency, by Bucs general manager Jason Licht.

Spytek played only one season with Brady at Michigan as a scout squad defensive lineman. But he was a key figure in bringing Brady from the Patriots to the Bucs, tabbing the secret pursuit “Operation Shoeless Joe Jackson” after the mantra of the baseball movie, "If you build it, he will come."

Spytek assisted Licht in building a Bucs franchise that not only won four straight NFC South titles but is the only one in the NFC to reach the past five postseasons.

Once he got to Tampa, Spytek spent many Tuesday afternoons going over the personnel of the opponent in private meetings with Brady and Rob McCartney, the Bucs director of player personnel.

The news of Spytek joining the Raiders came the same day the Bucs retained offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who turned down an invitation to interview in person for the Jaguars head coaching job to become one of the highest-paid assistants in the NFL with Tampa Bay.

Among the first jobs for Spytek will be hiring a head coach to replace Antonio Pierce, who was fired after a 4-13 season.

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