HENDERSON, Nev.—Say whatever you like about the Las Vegas Raiders (3-4) GM John Spytek, but you can’t avoid using the word bold.

Despite taking the high road and taking all the blame for the team’s collapse in 2025, for the record, absolutely none of the responsibility for the collapse had to do with him; ever since his voice grew louder and he took the wheel late last season, he has been superb.

There have been some questions, prematurely in some cases, in this reporter’s opinion, about the 2025 NFL Draft class, but he has been bold and aggressive.

I first learned of him when he interned with the Detroit Lions in 2004, when Lions executives gave him the nickname “The Whiz Kid” because of his analytical nature.

Spytek bristled at my use of analytical, but the reality is that he leaves no stone unturned, like his head coach, Klint Kubiak, and owner, Tom Brady. We talked about that earlier this year when he selected Klint Kubiak as head coach.

“I would not say that I am analytical, just thorough and a lot of depth. You’re always looking for an edge. Your ability to process, maintain, and use a lot of information is huge at my job, or quarterback, or a head coach. It was cool to see the depths that Klint would go, just like Tom (Brady) would go to as a player."

"Like what is required, and how much you can process and maintain, and use. We could throw a book at a player or coach, if they can’t. It’s really about what they can use and kind of value in that process, kind of value in that process to help bring it to life.”

What Happened

Spytek announced today that he was activating WR Dont’e Thornton, Jr. (DTJ) from injured reserve back to the 53-man roster.

Spytek selected DTJ in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 108th overall. The 6’5” wideout weighs 205 pounds and runs a blazing 4.3 forty-yard dash.

Physically and athletically, he looks like a prototypical elite NFL WR. Looks can be deceiving.

He came to the Raiders during the mini-camp and OTA portion of the 2025 offseason looking like the steal of the NFL Draft. He made enormous plays and shone.

August 14, 2025

On August 14, 2025, everything changed. DTJ literally disappeared once the San Francisco 49ers arrived in Henderson. The great plays and the constant showing up, day after day, just stopped.

Teammates wondered what happened, and early in the season, even some on the staff did, too. The once-promising rookie couldn’t seem to, in the words of one coach no longer with the team, “Get any traction.”

In this reporter’s opinion, and in the view of others around the organization, nothing has changed.

A wonderful young man, I have stated many times, no one was rooting against him, just the opposite, but nothing was popping.

Just last Friday, on a team desperate for WR help, Kubiak was asked about DTJ, and his answer was interesting. “He’s making big progress. He’s done a lot of good things in practice. Still working back into getting his football legs back after missing a lot of time. But I’ve been really pleased with his effort, with his detail. He’s close.”

Who Was Let Go

In deciding to elevate DTJ to the 53-man roster, Spytek let Las Vegas native DT Jonah Laulu go. Laulu was inactive against the Chiefs and the Rams, and with his former defensive line coach now the defensive coordinator, that is telling.

DTJ played in 15 games last year, caught 10 passes, and scored no touchdowns.

Laulu has started 22 games for the Raiders, including seven during his rookie year in 2024 and 15 last year. His production this year has been, at best, suspect.

What This Means

Many, including me, thought DTJ might not make the initial 53-man roster, which he did, and I certainly thought that, with Jack Bech presumably coming back this week, DTJ’s days were either numbered or he was heading to the IR for the remainder of the season.

The reality is that if you trust Spytek (and he has earned it) or Kubiak (and he has earned it), they believe in DTJ at least for now, and the sophomore WR needs to seize the moment of public endorsement and turn things around.

In the NFL, a player's third year is called the money year. In that belief, DTJ is far too young to give up on, and Spytek and Kubiak are again making the statement we told you before the season.

This is a youth-movement Raiders rebuild, and keeping DTJ in the fold once again shows that while Laulu was in the money year and they clearly didn’t like what he offered comparatively, they value DTJ more.

The analytical-excuse me, “thorough” John Spytek yet again made a bold move. You can’t fault him for that, and in a year when this team isn’t going to a Super Bowl, trusting WR coach Zach Azzanni and Kubiak to develop DTJ and finding out whether he can turn it around is the correct move.

If the Raiders move on from DTJ at some point, that won’t be the story. The story will be that Spytek continues to do what he has since last December: methodically lead the franchise in a disciplined way, trust the process, and not cut corners.

No one would have complained or been shocked if Spytek cut DTJ or at least relegated him to the IR for the rest of the season. Unless he signed with the Chiefs and the young man with all of the intangibles became great.

The story isn’t whether or not DTJ turns out to be great; it is that in the early stages of a rebuild, a franchise that was once known as the team with a lack of patience who constantly let players go to thrive elsewhere, showed discipline and a commitment to the plan.

Or as they say in these parts, “Committed to Excellence.”

Who knows if DTJ will be excellent, but discipline and commitment to a proven plan clearly exemplify “Commitment to Excellence.”

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