The Las Vegas Raiders have officially hired former Los Angeles Chargers general manager Tom Telesco as their new GM. Telesco, 51, was the Chargers’ general manager for most of 11 seasons before being after a Week 15 loss to — ironically — the Raiders.
Why did Las Vegas go with Telesco instead of interim GM Champ Kelly or Indianapolis Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds, who were believed to be the favorites for the position? Let’s grade the hire and examine how Telesco might co-exist with new Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce.
Grading the Las Vegas Raiders’ Tom Telesco Hire
General managers rarely receive as many second-chance opportunities as their head coaching brethren. Telesco will join the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Trent Baalke as the only retread GM in the NFL.
His hiring comes as a surprise, as Kelly and Dodds were thought to be competing to replace Dave Ziegler as the Raiders’ full-time general manager. Kelly’s case was believed to have become even stronger when Las Vegas removed the interim label from Pierce’s title, as the Raiders could have brought back both men responsible for the team’s late-season surge.
However, Raiders owner Mark Davis was reportedly worried about pairing a first-time head coach with a first-time general manager. Kelly and Dodds have spent years in NFL front offices, while Kelly spent the latter half of the 2023 campaign guiding Vegas’ front office. But neither executive has handled the full responsibilities of a GM role.
Telesco has, which should give Davis some reassurance. The John Carroll University grad spent time as a scout and personnel man for the Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, and Indianapolis Colts before taking over for the Chargers in 2013.
The Bolts went 84-92 during his tenure, earning just three playoff appearances over 11 seasons. Los Angeles never won the AFC West while Telesco was in charge and failed to advance beyond the Divisional Round.
Telesco was a survivor with the Chargers, sticking around long enough to hire three head coaches — Mike McCoy, Anthony Lynn, and Brandon Staley.
MORE: 2024 NFL GM Interview Tracker
Telesco mostly hit on his first-round picks in Los Angeles, adding standout talent like pass rusher Joey Bosa (2016), wide receiver Mike Williams (2017), safety Derwin James (2018), quarterback Justin Herbert (2020), and left tackle Rashawn Slater (2021) on Day 1 of the NFL Draft.
But depth was a consistent issue for the Chargers’ stars-and-scrubs roster. Telesco routinely failed to hit on mid- and late-round draft picks, depriving L.A. of young, cost-controlled assets.
The Chargers’ front office also struggled to find complementary pieces in free agency. Cornerback J.C. Jackson — whom Los Angeles inked to a five-year, $82.5 million before the 2022 campaign before trading him back to the New England Patriots in 2023 — represented Telesco’s most significant mistake.
Telesco might work out in his second go-around as an NFL general manager, but the fact that he didn’t take any time off or work in another front office to gain exposure to new ideas before taking another GM gig is concerning.
MORE: Why the Raiders Hired Antonio Pierce as HC
The Chargers were one of the least forward-thinking, analytic-friendly organizations in the league with Telesco running the show. Los Angeles had only three analytics staffers in 2023, per ESPN’s Seth Walder, while the Raiders only had four.
Unless Telesco changes his team-building approach as he heads to Las Vegas, he might risk turning the Raiders’ roster into another version of the Chargers’: a bloated, top-heavy mess.
Grade: D
Who Else Did the Raiders Interview for GM?
- Trey Brown, senior personnel executive, Bengals
- Interviewed on 1/10
- Ed Dodds, asst. GM, Colts
- Interviewed on 1/12; interviewed again
- Terrance Gray, VP of player personnel, Bills
- Interviewed on 1/12
- Champ Kelly, interim GM, Raiders
- Interviewed on 1/13; second interview on 1/15
- Adam Peters, asst. GM, 49ers
- Interview requested; hired by Commanders
- Kelly Kleine Van Calligan, executive director of football operations, Broncos
- Interviewed on 1/10
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