HENDERSON, Nev. – The Las Vegas Raiders have officially parted ways with general manager Tom Telesco, announcing the news in a statement released by the team on Thursday.
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) January 9, 2025
The general belief around the league was that Telesco had survived the fallout of Antonio Pierce’s firing, and that he would be working with Raiders owners Mark Davis and Tom Brady to secure the team’s head coach and quarterback of the future.
While Thursday’s announcement comes as somewhat of a surprise, sources around the league have indicated that Raiders ownership prefers a general manager that is connected to the coach that is brought in.
From what I was told, Telesco was fired mostly because ownership seems to prefer having the general manager and head coach more connected—like a cohesive partnership—rather than something that feels more arranged or forced. Brady has lots of influence in Las Vegas.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 9, 2025
Telesco’s firing comes after just one season in Las Vegas. He was hired as the Raiders general manager in January 2023, just over a month after the Chargers fired him following a 63-21 loss to the Raiders in Las Vegas. Despite the team’s 4-13 record, Telesco’s tenure with the Silver and Black will likely be remembered fondly because he pulled the trigger on Brock Bowers with the 13th selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.
It seemed like a questionable pick at the time, but Bowers’ performance in his rookie season proved he is a legitimate Hall of Famer in the making. Telesco also hit on his second-round selection of Jackson Powers-Johnson, a feisty center-turned-guard out of Oregon who ended up anchoring the Raiders offensive line down the stretch.
His tenure, however, was also defined by the team’s struggles at the quarterback position. The Raiders brought in journeyman Gardner Minshew in the offseason but that ended up being more of a curse than a blessing. The front office reportedly pushed for Minshew to start, despite Pierce’s preference of O’Connell. It was perhaps the most detrimental decision in a season full of them.
Lions' offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is currently the Raiders' primary target. Johnson granted the Raiders' request to interview him, though the interview process is being conducted over Zoom as the Lions are entering the playoffs with the top seed in the NFC.