Raiders GM John Spytek Drops Truth Bomb on Tom Brady Relationship

The Las Vegas Raiders have brought a lot of new faces to town this offseason, both on and off the field. In the latter category, the Raiders have welcomed a pair of former Michigan Wolverines teammates into the fold, as John Spytek is their new general manager, and legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady is a minority owner of the team.

Given Spytek and Brady’s ties during their together with Michigan, many folks assumed that the seven-time Super Bowl winner played a role in bringing his former teammate to the Raiders. However, Spytek shot that notion down by sharing some eye-opening comments about his relationship with Brady over the past couple of decades.

John Spytek Addresses Relationship with Tom Brady

Spytek and Brady played together for one season in 199 before the latter declared for the 2000 NFL draft, where he was selected by the New England Patriots. Spytek, who was used primarily as a special teams player with Michigan, did not pursue a career in the NFL as a player, but rather transitioned into coaching and scouting. Before he knew it, he was a fast-rising executive with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Brady and Spytek crossed paths again when the star quarterback signed with the Buccaneers in 2020. At the time, Spytek was the team’s director of player personnel, meaning he played a role in helping bring Brady to town. The two would immediately win a championship together when Brady led Tampa Bay past the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.

Now, the pair have reunited in Las Vegas with the Raiders, albeit in different circumstances this time. While he’s only a minority owner, Brady has reportedly played a big role in the team’s front office workings, which just so happens to be run by Spytek now. While the general presumption is that he and Brady are in cahoots, Spytek suggested that he and Brady haven’t been particularly close over the past 20 years or so, even though they have known each other for over 25 years now.

“Everyone says we were teammates at Michigan. Yeah, we were teammates. But I mean, we hadn’t really spoken in 20 years. So it wasn’t like this was my friend walking into the building,” Spytek said of his relationship with Brady on the “3 & Out Podcast.”

Raiders Looking to Get Back on Track After Ugly 2024 Campaign

GettyLas Vegas Raiders GM John Spytek.

Since taking over as the Raiders general manager, Spytek has been busy rebuilding the team’s roster. Easily the team’s biggest move of the offseason saw them trade for Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks, reuniting him with Pete Carroll, who was hired to be the team’s new head coach this offseason. Spytek also drafted a potential generational player in running back Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

While much has been made of Brady’s influence in the building, Spytek is running the show in the front office for Las Vegas. Time will tell if he pushed the right buttons this offseason, but after an ugly 2024 campaign, the Raiders could end up surprising a lot of folks if Spytek’s vision comes together the way he wants it to.