The Las Vegas Raiders only had it in them to remove the interim tag from one key employee. The team made Antonio Pierce the full-time head coach, which likely led to interim general manager Champ Kelly not landing the full-time job.
However, Kelly was certainly in the mix and is technically still under contract with the team as assistant general manager. The Raiders hired Tom Telesco as general manager but it appears the hope is that Kelly stays on staff. ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez spoke to owner Mark Davis following Telesco’s January 24 introductory press conference and made it clear he “hopes” to retain Kelly.
“I think he brings a lot to this organization,” Davis told Gutierrez. “I have a lot of respect for him and what he was able to do.”
Kelly is under contract and the Raiders could keep him in the building unless he gets a general manager job elsewhere. The Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders were two teams showing interest but they have already filled their openings. The Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots are the two teams left with general manager openings and neither has interviewed Kelly. It’s looking likely that Davis will get his wish.