The Las Vegas Raiders fired their general manager Tom Telesco on Thursday afternoon, barely a year after he was hired.
The move is part of the cleanup that became necessary following a disappointing 4-13 season, which also led to the departure of head coach Antonio Pierce on Tuesday.
“We appreciate the efforts he made to lay the foundations for our future,” the club said in a statement. We wish Tom and his entire family good luck. »
The Raiders thus became the second franchise since 1967 to begin three consecutive seasons with a new head coach and a new general manager. Head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler led the team heading into the 2023 season. The Cleveland Browns are the other club to have accomplished this unusual feat, between 2012 and 2014 .
-Owner Mark Davis had said Telesco and Pierce would be subject to individual evaluations, and the firing of the general manager was the more surprising of the two. Telesco had a very good draft last April, during which he selected in the first three rounds one of the hottest offensive prospects, Brock Bowers, as well as two starting offensive linemen.
Telesco, however, was unable to sign or identify the quarterback the Raiders are sorely missing. He instead agreed to a two-year, US$25 million contract with Gardner Minshew. The latter won the No. 1 quarterback position during training camp, but lost it to Aidan O’Connell after the first five weeks of activities.
This year, therefore, the team’s new minority owner, Tom Brady, may have greater influence in the Raiders’ operations.
