Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Rob McCartney enters his 15th season with the Buccaneers and first as assistant general manager.

Rob McCartney enters his 15th season with the Buccaneers and first as assistant general manager.

He works closely with Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht regarding the NFL Draft, key free-agent acquisitions and all other personnel decisions. Additionally, McCartney oversees the day-to-day operations of the college and pro scouting departments for Tampa Bay.

McCartney was promoted to his current role in 2025 after spending the previous three seasons as director of player personnel. Previously, he served as director of pro scouting from 2015-21 and oversaw the Buccaneers pro personnel staff and advance reports, along with the evaluation of opponents, pro leagues, free agents, and trade prospects.

Throughout his tenure, McCartney has contributed to a front office that has drafted and retained talent as well as any team in the league, contributing to five consecutive playoff berths (2020-24), four consecutive NFC South division titles (2021-24) and a Super Bowl LV championship. From 2023-24, 40 of the 50 different players to have started a game for Tampa Bay were homegrown players that were either drafted or originally signed as undrafted free agents by the Buccaneers. In addition, all 38 players drafted by Tampa Bay in rounds one through six from 2019-24 were on a roster during the 2024 season – a feat that only the Buccaneers can claim during that span.

The Buccaneers, with McCartney's guidance, used the 2025 offseason to retain key franchise cornerstones on both sides of the ball in Lavonte David and Chris Godwin, in addition to re-signing guard Ben Bredeson. Through free agency, Tampa Bay added a veteran pass-rushing presence in Haason Reddick and veteran punter Riley Dixon, who ranks inside the top 10 from 2016-24 in punting yards (first – 30,687), net punting yards (first – 27,718), punts inside of the 20-yard line (third – 231) and punts inside of the 10-yard line (tied for fourth – 82).

McCartney also helped deliver four starters in the 2024 draft class in center Graham Barton, running back Bucky Irving, wide receiver Jalen McMillan and defensive back Tykee Smith. Irving – Tampa Bay's 2024 fourth-round pick – earned a PFWA All-Rookie selection after leading the rookie class in yards from scrimmage (1,514), rushing yards (1,122) and rushing touchdowns (eight). He was the first running back drafted in the fourth round or later to lead a draft class in scrimmage yards since 2000. Irving and Barton also helped catapult the Buccaneers rushing attack from 32^nd in the NFL in 2022 and 2023 to fourth in 2024, averaging 149.2 yards per game and a franchise-record 5.3 yards per rush. Meanwhile, Irving and McMillan became the first rookie running back/wide receiver duo with eight-plus scrimmage touchdowns each since Reggie Bush and Marques Colston in 2006.

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, and kicker Chase McLaughlin. Over his first two seasons with the team, Mayfield earned consecutive Pro Bowl selections – becoming the first player in franchise history to accomplish that feat – and the 2023 PFWA Most Improved Player award, while ranking first in passing touchdowns (69), second in passing yards (8,544) and seventh in passer rating (100.7) across the NFL from 2023-24. Meanwhile, McLaughlin reset the single season franchise record for field goal percentage in each of his first two seasons, converting on 93.5% of his attempts in 2023 (29-of-31) and 93.8% of his attempts in 2024 (30-of-32) to rank second in the NFL in field goal percentage across that span.

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 have combined for 153 pressures, 46 tackles for loss, 57 quarterback hits and 23.5 sacks over their first two seasons. 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.

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, contributing to the selections of Jameis Winston, Donovan Smith, Ali Marpet and Kwon Alexander in 2015. Alexander, Winston and Marpet each went on to earn Pro Bowl selections with Tampa Bay.

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.

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.

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.