Nov 22, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions general manager Sheldon White smiles prior to the game against the Oakland Raiders at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-Imagn Images Tim Fuller-Imagn Images

Raiders Request to Interview Steelers' Sheldon White

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Michael France | Last updated Jan 15, 2025 11:31 AM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders have requested an interview with Pittsburgh Steelers director of pro personnel Sheldon White, as reported by NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. After less than a week from firing general manager Tom Telesco, the Raiders have begun an aggressive search to fill the vacancy.

White joined the Steelers' front office in 2022, whom general manager Omar Khan knew from their "early days" in the NFL, according to Penn Live's Nick Farabaugh.

"White has an extensive history in the NFL, particularly with the Detroit Lions, where he remained in the team’s front office for well over a decade," Farabaugh wrote. "He served as the interim general manager in 2015."

White also spent time with Michigan State football, as he was executive director of recruiting and player personnel from 2017 to 2020. He then returned to the pros, with Washington, as a scout in 2021.

As a former NFL defensive back and NFL scout, White has an understanding of players in regard to scouting and ability on the field that many general manager candidates will lack during the Raiders' search process.

Minority owner Tom Brady wants to align his general manager with whomever he finds at head coach. Our Hondo Carpenter reported that Brady has an affinity for those who see the game in a similar way to the former seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback.

Right now, the perceived frontrunner for the Raiders' general manager job is Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant general manager John Spytek, another candidate with Lions heritage.

"[Spytek] and Brady are very close, and one of the things that impressed Brady with Spytek was that when he talked ball with him they were on the same page; they thought the same, they looked at things the same," Carpenter said. "Spytek is extremely analytical. So is Brady. ... This is a name that around the NFL a lot of people believe is probably a leading candidate to be the next general manager of the Raiders. And I can tell you ... this would be a tremendous addition for the Raiders. Because even though Tom Brady is not moving here and running the day-to-day operations of the team, clearly his voice is enormous. And so he has to have somebody in that general manager's chair that knows exactly what he thinks, the vision, the direction, and has to be able to work with the coach."

This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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