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Raiders Addition Is Bad News for Broncos

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Austin C. Boyd | Last updated Feb 4, 2025 12:17 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders are undergoing some major front office transformations under new general manager John Spytek. While he does seem keen on retaining some holdovers like assistant general manager Champ Kelly, he is bringing in some people he's familiar with.

According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero , the Raiders have hired Denver Broncos executive Mark Thewes as vice president of football operations and strategy. Thewes previously spent 16 seasons with the Broncos and was most recently their vice president of football operations and compliance. He was a key part of the franchise for a long time so it is a bit of a blow to Denver.

The Broncos are one of the teams the Raiders have to face twice a season in the AFC West so Thewes should be able to provide some valuable insight into their operation.

For the Raiders, they now get an experienced executive who has ties to Spytek. Thewes and Spytek had overlap in Denver as the latter was a scout for the franchise from 2013 to 2015.

Notably, Kelly was also working in the front office with Spytek and Thewes during that time. The Raiders now have a very experienced front office despite not having somebody with general manager experience. Spytek is a first-time general manager but he has a lot of help.

Tom Brady's presence also looms large. While he can't hold an official title outside of minority owner, he's expected to have a big role in football matters. Thewes' hiring makes it official that head coach Pete Carroll will not hold the vice president of football operations title as he did with the Seattle Seahawks.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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