Chargers interview NFL exec Dawn Aponte for GM job; would mark league’s second female to hold that position

The Los Angeles Chargers interviewed NFL chief football administrative officer Dawn Aponte for their general manager position, the team announced Monday. The Chargers are looking to fill the role after parting ways with Tom Telesco in December. 

This would be a historic addition for the Chargers as Aponte would become the second female general manager in the NFL if she gets the role. The only time an NFL team hired a female GM came in 1983 when the Philadelphia Eagles hired Susan Tose Spencer. 

She has served in her current position in the NFL since 2017.

Aponte got her start in the league as an accountant intern with the New York Jets during college. She began working there full time in 1994, and then got promoted to salary cap analyst and pro personnel assistant in 2001. In 2003, she was promoted again to manager of football administration, the same year she earned a Juris Doctor degree from New York Law School.

In 2005, Aponte was named Jets senior director of football administration. During her time with the Jets, she was able to learn from the likes of Mike Tannenbaum, Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick.

In 2006, Aponte went on to become vice president of labor finance for the NFL’s management council. Three years later, she became vice president of football administration for the Cleveland Browns. She resigned from her Browns post and joined the Miami Dolphins in 2010 as the senior vice president of football operations before being promoted to executive vice president of football administration in 2012.

Chargers director of player personnel Jojo Wooden served as the interim GM after the team fired Telesco, who had held the position since 2013.

The Chargers are searching for their next head coach as well as their GM. Los Angeles fired head coach Brandon Staley the same day they fired Telesco.

They have requested to interview multiple candidates for the head coach opening, including interim head coach Giff Smith, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel.

The Chargers’ firings took place after a 42-point loss to the Las Vegas Raiders and were 5-9 at the time. They finished the season 5-12 and last in the AFC West, and the second-worst record in the AFC behind the 4-13 New England Patriots.