Champ Kelly was appointed to Interim General Manager of the Las Vegas Raiders after the team fired former General Manager Dave Ziegler and Coach Josh McDaniels on Halloween.
The Raiders finished the season 5-4 under Kelly and now-permanent coach Antonio Pierce.
While Kelly and the Raiders were unable to make many trades because Kelly’s appointment occurred after the trade deadline, they were able to add a prominent player in cornerback Jack Jones.
The Raiders eventually hired former Los Angeles Chargers General Manager Tom Telesco as their general manager.
Despite the appointment of Telesco as general manager, Kelly continues to bring significant value to the Raiders’ front office and serves as the team’s deputy general manager.
Kelly is well-respected in the NFL and by Raiders owner Mark Davis, despite the fact that Davis chose Telesco over Kelly for the general manager role.
“I think he brings a lot to this organization,” Davis said.”I have a lot of respect for him, and he what was able to do.”
The Las Vegas Raiders still have a valuable asset in Assistant General Manager Champ Kelly.
Darrell Craig Harris, Raiders Today
While Telesco has the experience that Kelly doesn’t have, Kelly is familiar with the Raider roster’s inner workings in a way that Telesco is not.
Although Telesco offers a fresh viewpoint and many years of experience to the team, Kelly has an unbreakable bond with this roster.
Kelly has years of experience spotting talent and will continue to assist the Raiders in that regard, albeit under a different title than he may have hoped for.
As a result, Kelly will continue to give Las Vegas with a strong eye for talent while also serving as a bridge between the Raiders of the previous few seasons and the ones to come.
Kelly will one day have the opportunity to be the general manager of an NFL franchise. For the time being, the Raiders’ front office continues to be led by Telesco and Kelly.
Kelly also attended the announcement of Telesco’s appointment as General Manager. It’s a fitting start to what appears to be a promising alliance. It will be up to them to make the necessary additions and subtractions to get the Raiders back into postseason contention.
From February 27 to March 4, 2024, the NFL Scouting Combine will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.
The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently hold the No. 13 overall pick.
