The Las Vegas Raiders won’t be hiring Pittsburgh Steelers director of pro scouting Sheldon White for their general manager vacancy. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, John Spytek will serve as the Raiders’ next GM.
White had previously been requested to interview by the Raiders. It’s not known if that interview took place.
White has served as the Steelers’ director of pro scouting since being hired in 2022, one of the first moves Omar Khan made after succeeding Kevin Colbert as the team’s general manager. Spytek was one of the candidates Pittsburgh considered during its expansive summer search. Because Colbert remained in his role through the draft, the Steelers had plenty of time to tab his replacement and weren’t competing with other teams to fill the role. They held a second interview with Spytek, suggesting he was a serious candidate.
White’s responsibilities include helping put together the Steelers’ workout list and monitoring the NFL’s other 31 rosters, evaluating players who may eventually become available through free agency or trade. A longtime scout and executive, he spent the bulk of his time with the Detroit Lions and briefly overlapped with Colbert there before he was hired as the Steelers’ de facto GM in 2000. White also served as interim Lions GM during the 2015 season.
In Las Vegas, Spytek will replace Tom Telesco, fired after one season as the Raiders cleaned house and start a new regime. They’ve yet to hire a head coach to replace Antonio Pierce, who also lasted just one season in a full-time role.
Had White been hired away, the Steelers would’ve been compensated with a pair of third-round picks, one apiece in the 2025 and 2026 drafts. That’s part of the NFL rule that gives teams draft picks if they lose minority candidates to general manager or head coaching jobs. Not projected to receive any compensatory selections, the Steelers are set to draft with what they currently have barring any trades.
