Getty Las Vegas Raiders interim GM Champ Kelly.
There’s a lot of focus on what the Las Vegas Raiders might do with their head coaching opening this offseason but who they pick as general manager could be even more important. The team has struggled with drafting and roster construction for years and is about to hire their fourth general manager since 2012.
Champ Kelly took over as interim general manager after Dave Ziegler was fired but he’s been considered for general manager jobs in the past. In fact, the Raiders face competition for his services this offseason. According to ESPN’s John Keim, Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris recently met with Kelly about his team’s general manager opening.
“Harris already met with some potential GM candidates through the accelerator program at the owners meetings last month in Dallas,” Keim wrote in a January 5 column. “According to multiple sources, he met with a few participants, including Chicago assistant general manager Ian Cunningham and Las Vegas interim general manager Champ Kelly.”
Harris has deep pockets and Kelly doesn’t have to stay with the Raiders even if they want to hire him as the full-time general manager. If Las Vegas thinks Kelly is the right man for the job, they may need to make a decision quickly once the season ends.
Champ Kelly Still Likely to Get Las Vegas Raiders GM Job
If multiple teams try to hire Champ Kelly this offseason, the Raiders should still have the edge. He’s familiar with the team and has already moved his family to Las Vegas. According to a January 1 X post from Vic Tafur of The Athletic, Kelly has an 85% chance of keeping the general manager job this offseason.
@AmonMarshaw Champ 85 percent, Pierce 70 percent and spend a lot on an OC/assistant head coach.
Kelly has been scouting at the NFL level since 2007 and worked his way up all the way to an assistant general manager role with the Raiders under Dave Ziegler. There’s only so much an interim general manager can do in the middle of a season but Kelly has the experience to get a chance at the full-time job. If the Raiders decide to go in a different direction, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Kelly got hired elsewhere.
Other GM Candidates for Las Vegas Raiders
If things don’t work out with Champ Kelly, there will be no shortage of general manager options for the Raiders to look at. Owner Mark Davis could try to go after a big fish who has already served in the role before. Dallas Cowboys vice president of player personnel Will McClay is one of the best personnel guys in the NFL. It would take a lot of money to get him from Dallas but he’d be the type of executive who could quickly turn the Raiders’ roster around.
Indianapolis Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds was looked at for the Raiders’ general manager job in 2022 before the team hired Dave Ziegler. He’s been a rising front office star for years and has turned down general manager offers before. Now could be the time for him to accept a promotion if the Raiders make him an offer.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant general manager John Spytek is another candidate the Raiders interviewed in the past. He has spent 20 years in the NFL and is likely ready for the chance to run his own team.