5 moves Tom Telesco must promise Raiders to keep his job

Tom Telesco could be out of a job after just one year with the Las Vegas Raiders. The former Los Angeles Chargers general manager was listed in an article by Mike Jones of The Athletic as a GM who has "pressure mounting".

"Could Tom Brady, who now has great influence within the organization as a minority owner, want his own guy running the show at coach and GM? If so, that could lead to a short stint for Telesco as well."

We don't know if Telesco and Head Coach Antonio Pierce are a package deal for Raiders' ownership, but both men are certainly on the hot seat. Although it's probably in Telesco's best interest to separate himself from the first-year head coach.

What are some other things Telesco can do to keep his job for next year? Let's go through the moves Tom Telesco must promise the Raiders to stay in his position.

1. Draft the next franchise quarterback

It's been a decade since the Raiders franchise drafted a long-term option at quarterback. That player was of course Derek Carr who played nine years for the franchise and went to three Pro Bowls.

Carr has only been gone a little over a year, but you can already feel the wayward nature of the position for the Raiders. Last year they signed Jimmy Garoppolo who played in seven games before being benched for fourth-round rookie Aidan O'Connell. O'Connell then lost the job this year to journeyman Gardner Minshew before Minshew was benched. Safe to say they haven't found a real solution to the position since letting Carr walk.

The best thing any general manager can do is promise their owner they know who the next great rookie quarterback is going to be. And even in a weaker quarterback draft class, the Raiders are currently sitting at the second overall pick which would allow them options. Options they didn't have at 13th overall last year.

Whichever quarterback Telesco claims is the savior is not the priority for the moment. Lie on the resume and learn the skills after getting the job. Telesco needs to say he knows who the quarterback is, then work endlessly to actually figure out who it is.

A lot of picking the right quarterback, however, will be determined by pairing him with the correct coach.

2. Hiring a new head coach

Let me start by saying I was all in favor of the Antonio Pierce hiring. And I still think Pierce should coach in the NFL and get another chance at a head coaching job one day. But what I do believe is a fact now is that if you are going to be drafting your next (hopeful) franchise QB, it's best to pair him with a new coach that they can grow with together, rather than keeping a "lame duck" coach who might get fired halfway through your quarterback's rookie season.

Las Vegas needs to find the right blend of an offensive-minded coach who can create a viable situation for a quarterback, but also a coach who brings a great vibe to the franchise. Their last two head coaches, Pierce and Josh McDaniels, were either one or the other.

Detroit's Ben Johnson is the top name for this requirement. But he's the top name for everyone. Buffalo's Joe Brady, Tampa Bay's Liam Coen, Baltimore's Todd Monken, and Arizona's Drew Petzing are just a few of the candidates Las Vegas should consider.

Being willing to move on from Pierce might be just as important for Telesco and his job security as finding the next quarterback.

3. Keep building through the draft

The Raiders tend to get themselves in trouble with big swings for veterans. There was the Davante Adams trade in 2022 which didn't end well. Worse than that there have been nine free agents since 2021 that were five-figure contracts: Yannick Ngouke, Kenyan Drake, Chandler Jones, Bilal Nichols, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jakobi Meyers, Marcus Epps, Christian Wilkins, Gardner Minshew. If we call Wilkins "incomplete" since he went on injured reserve so early in his first year with the team, we can call maybe two of the remaining eight players successful signings? Not a great return.

Meanwhile, there have been several good players drafted on this team quietly in that same time. Tre'von Moehrig, Malcolm Koonce, Divine Deablo, Nate Hobbs, Dylan Parham, Thayer Munford, Michael Mayer, Brock Bowers, Jackson Powers-Johnson, and Delmar Glaze all look like useful players.

The last three players mentioned were all drafted by Telesco, and he should hang his hat on that, especially Bowers. Telesco can tell Owner Mark Davis, "look, I made the bold choice to go with Bowers. It wasn't a premium position, a team need, or the obvious pick, but I took the best player on the board and we've gotten an incredible return. I can keep doing that".

The Davis family of course loves the splash plays for the attention. But none of them have paid off for the Raiders on the field. Instead, they should focus their money elsewhere.

4. Pay their good players

Las Vegas has the third-most cap space going into 2025 per Over The Cap. But as we've discussed they shouldn't rush to spend it all on the highest-priced free agents.

Look at what the Washington Commanders did this year. They had cap to spend and used it on some young, veteran fliers, and smart, rotational players. They filled out their roster with pros, but not superstars. That allowed them to see what they had in their coaching staff and rookie quarterback, without tying them down to a potentially mediocre roster. Now in 2025, they are in a better position to swing big after having hit on the quarterback.

The Raiders have the opportunity to do that as well. They can still spend their money, but instead of focusing on big outside names they should prioritize their own pieces. Moehrig, Koonce, Deablo, Hobbs, Epps, and Robert Spillane are all players that should come back.

Keeping their own good players instead of reaching for outside players that might be better, shows ownership that Telesco believes in what he's already started building.

5. Keep Maxx Crosby happy

If I'm Telesco laying out this very measured and well-thought-out plan to ownership, I have to have some dessert on top. Mark Davis of all people might not be satisfied with only small moves. I need something to "wow" him. So I'm guaranteeing our homegrown star player will be on this team moving forward.

It's no secret that Maxx Crosby has been frustrated in the last year or so with the franchise. But the 27-year-old is a top-five edge rusher in the league and can be the cornerstone of a championship defense. Never mind that he loves being a Raider and the way he plays on the field is what you want from every player. Especially a star.

So if I'm Telesco I'm promising ownership, and the fans, that our star is going to be happy and proud to be a Raider again, and he won't be going anywhere.