Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Rob McCartney enters his 15th season with the Buccaneers and first as assistant general manager. In addition to overseeing the pro scouting department, McCartney advises General Manager Jason Licht throughout the draft process and in free agency. Before his promotion in 2025, McCartney served as the team's director of player personnel.

Rob McCartney enters his 15th season with the Buccaneers and first as assistant general manager. In addition to overseeing the pro scouting department, McCartney advises General Manager Jason Licht throughout the draft process and in free agency. Before his promotion in 2025, McCartney served as the team's director of player personnel.

As director of pro scouting, McCartney oversaw the Buccaneers pro personnel staff and advance reports, along with the evaluation of opponents, pro leagues, free agents, and trade prospects. Prior to becoming the director of pro scouting – a role that he held since 2015 – McCartney was the Buccaneers pro scouting coordinator, a title he held for one season.

Tampa Bay's 2024 offseason focused primarily on retaining four of the NFL's top free agents on the market – Lavonte David, Mike Evans, Baker Mayfield and Antoine Winfield Jr. – but McCartney played an instrumental role in maximizing the remaining salary cap space to sign a number of outside free agents headlined by the signing of safety Jordan Whitehead, who started on Tampa Bay's Super Bowl LV championship team. In addition, the team signed a number of value free agents, including guard Ben Bredeson, cornerback Bryce Hall, guard Sua Opeta and wide receiver Sterling Shepard.

In 2023, McCartney contributed to a series of value signings as Tampa Bay navigated challenging salary cap restraints. He assisted in the team's acquisitions of free agent quarterback Baker Mayfield, defensive lineman Greg Gaines, guard Matt Feiler, running back Chase Edmonds and kicker Chase McLaughlin. In his first season with the team, Mayfield earned his first career Pro Bowl selection and was named PFWA Most Improved Player after setting career highs in passing yards (4,044), passing touchdowns (28) and completion percentage (64.3%). Meanwhile, McLaughlin earned first-team All-Pro recognition from Pro Football Focus, converting 29-of-31 field goal opportunities in 2023 to set a new single-season franchise record for field goal percentage (93.5%).

Additionally in 2023, the Buccaneers relied heavily on their draft class to reach the NFC Divisional Round in 2023, during which it provided the most total snaps by a rookie class in the NFL that season (5,560). Seven members of the eight-person class played in at least 13 games for Tampa Bay as the collective group combined for 106 games played and 48 games started. First-round defensive lineman Calijah Kancey and third-round outside linebacker Yaya Diaby combined for 59 pressures, 22 tackles for loss, 20 quarterback hits and 11.5 sacks. Diaby led all rookies in tackles for loss in 2023, with 12, and tied for first in fumble recoveries (two), in addition to leading the Buccaneers in sacks. Meanwhile, Kancey was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for November, finishing his rookie campaign tied for second among rookies in tackles for loss (10), tied for fourth in quarterback hits (12) and sixth in quarterback pressures (33). Second-round guard Cody Mauch started all 17 games for Tampa Bay in his rookie season, while sixth- round cornerback Josh Hayes led all NFL players in special teams tackles in 2023 (14).

In the 2022 offseason, McCartney played a key role in acquiring several free agents, including wide receivers Russell Gage and Julio Jones and defensive lineman Akiem Hicks. McCartney also evaluated guard Shaq Mason, who the Buccaneers acquired via trade from the New England Patriots.

In 2021, McCartney was named to the Tampa Bay Business Journal's 40 under 40 list, celebrating individuals under the age of 40 who have achieved notable success, demonstrated exceptional leadership, and made significant contributions in their respective fields.

During the 2020 offseason, McCartney was involved in bringing in quarterback Tom Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski. Other veteran players to join the Buccaneers during the 2020 season were running back Leonard Fournette and kicker Ryan Succop. Despite a global pandemic, Tom Brady would lead the team to an 11-5 record and a Super Bowl victory. Brown, Fournette and Gronkowski would each go on to score touchdowns in Super Bowl LV, while Succop set a regular season franchise record for the most points in a single season (136).

During the 2019 offseason, he scouted outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett and defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh. Barrett went on to have a Pro Bowl year, setting the franchise sack record with an NFL-best 19.5, while Suh started all 16 games for Tampa Bay, helping the team register the No. 1 rush defense in the NFL. The pair continued their success into the 2020 season, starting all 20 games, including four playoff games. Barrett and Suh helped the Buccaneers finish as the No. 1 rush defense for the second consecutive season.

In 2018, McCartney contributed to the signing of free agent center Ryan Jensen and the acquisition of outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul from the New York Giants. Jensen went on to start 65 games for the Buccaneers and was an integral part of the club's Super Bowl LV Championship team. He earned his first career Pro Bowl nod in 2021. In three seasons with the Buccaneers, Pierre-Paul averaged 0.73 sacks per game – eighth-most in the NFL during that stretch. Pierre-Paul earned a Pro Bowl berth in 2020 after posting a team-high 9.5 sacks and a career-best four forced fumbles.

McCartney spent the 2014 season as a national scout, following two seasons as a pro scout, a title he earned after being elevated from a pro personnel assistant.

While working as a national scout, McCartney was responsible for scouting top college prospects east of the Mississippi River. As a pro scout, McCartney assisted Tampa Bay's pro personnel department, including organizing player workouts.

McCartney came to Tampa Bay after working as a player personnel intern for the Pittsburgh Steelers organization from 2009-10 and as a summer intern in the player personnel department from 2006-08.

His father, Bob McCartney, has spent 52 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and was recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024 with an Award of Excellence for his contributions as a long-time film/video director.

McCartney graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science degree in sport and entertainment management. Rob and his wife Kristi reside in Tampa, along with their three daughters, Madison, Charlotte and Zoe.