Steelers plan to interview Tampa Bay Buccaneers VP of Personnel John Spytek for GM

For those fans who want the Pittsburgh Steelers to name their next General Manager (GM) in waiting before the 2022 NFL Draft, think again.

At this stage of the game, the Steelers have interviewed multiple candidates around the NFL, and the list continues to grow. The most recent name to be announced was Tampa Bay Buccaneers Vice President of Player Personnel John Spytek.

This per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network:

The Steelers wanting to interview Spytek hasn’t been his first interview for GM vacancies this offseason. Already this offseason Spytek has interviewed with both the Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders as they were trying to find their next GMs.

For some background on Spytek, this is a great description from the Tampa Bay Times when the Vikings put in a formal request to interview Spytek for their GM opening:

Spytek is in his sixth season with Tampa Bay and his 18th in the NFL. Prior to joining the Bucs, Spytek spent three seasons with Denver, where he worked as the Southwest area scout in 2013 before being elevated to national scout, a position he held for two years (2014-15). He spent three seasons (2010-12) as Cleveland’s director of college scouting.

Spytek is in charge of the Bucs’ college and pro scouting departments, handles the preparation for free agency and works with general manager Jason Licht regarding the draft.

He was instrumental in the acquisition of free agents such as linebacker Shaquil Barrett, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, running back Leonard Fournette and trading for linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul.

When the Bucs decided to pursue Tom Brady in the 2020 offseason, it was Spytek who dubbed it Operation Shoeless Joe Jackson, from the movie Field of Dreams. “If you build it, he will come,’’ Spytek would tell Licht.

The Steelers have remained steadfast in their approach to naming their next GM. They aren’t in any hurry, and don’t plan on making the decision prior to the 2022 NFL Draft. Will it be an outside hire, or someone in-house like Omar Khan and/or Brandon Hunt?

Be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they press on throughout the offseason.