Raiders Asst. GM Champ Kelly Put His Ego Aside, Welcomed Tom Telesco with Open Arms

The Las Vegas Raiders potentially had an awkward situation on their hands when Tom Telesco took over the general manager spot while Las Vegas kept Champ Kelly as its assistant GM.

Mar 1, 2022; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Los Angeles Chargers general manager Tom Telesco during the NFL / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Las Vegas Raiders entered the offseason with Chip Kelly as interim general manager and Antonio Pierce as interim head coach. The Raiders eventually removed Coach Pierce's interim tag and named him their permanent head coach.

However, they went a different direction with the general manager position and hired Tom Telesco, moving Kelly to assistant general manager. Although they didn’t know each other well, Kelly and Telesco have worked seamlessly together. 

"I did not know Tom [Telesco] extremely well,” Kelly said. “I went to a few symposiums where he was the speaker. So, [I] got a chance to get some nuggets of wisdom from him at the symposium that he spoke. 

“Obviously, him being in the division, you know of him. Was really close with JoJo Wooden, who is over here with us right now. When we first got together, he laid out expectations for me, and I was transparent with him about how I viewed the team, some of the needs, and some of the places that I thought we needed to do to make this team better.”

Las Vegas choosing Telesco wasn’t abnormal. However, keeping Kelly, the interim general manager before Telesco arrived, was abnormal. Keeping Kelly in their front office made for a potentially awkward situation, as Kelly was passed up for a position many felt he had earned. 

“I was able to check my ego and put this team first,” Kelly said. “It's not about me; it's really about Raider Nation, the alumni, [trying] to put our best product forward so that we can win football games for this city and Raider Nation. But Tom is easy to talk to, and I think ultimately, he wants the best for me, and I want the best for him, and this football team, and my job is to support him in all that we do as we move forward. And hopefully, we'll continue to build trust as we work together and win some football games together." 

While Telesco provided experience Kelly didn’t have, Kelly provided insight into the Raiders' roster and organization that Telesco didn’t have and undoubtedly made for a smooth transition for Telesco.

While Kelly may not have gotten the position he is more than ready for, his value to the Raiders as their assistant general manager cannot be understated. Kelly and the Raiders’ scouts made for a successful NFL Draft. They hope the combination of Kelly and Telesco will help lead to a successful season next year.

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