Martin Mayhew, Senior Personnel Executive/Advisor to the GM and Washington Legend, has decided to retire this offseason, Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters announced during his press conference at the NFL Scouting Combine.
"When I got here, he was one of the first people I really wanted to keep and work with," Peters said. "I was lucky enough that he wanted to stay, and we couldn't have done what we did last year without him."
Peters added there are not any immediate plans to fill the position.
Mayhew spent 26 seasons in the NFL, the last four of which were spent in the Commanders' front office. He was hired as the team's general manager ahead of the 2021 season -- a position he kept until Peters was hired in the same role.
In his current role, Mayhew provided guidance and helped mold Washington's 2024 draft class, which included instant contributors like Jayden Daniels, Mike Sainristil, Johnny Newton, Brandon Coleman and Ben Sinnott. In a recent article by NFL.com, Washington's 2024 class received the best grade in the league because of how many rookies helped get the Commanders to their first NFC Championships since 1991.
"He was instrumental in everything we did in terms of the draft and free agency," Peters said. "He made a lot of big deals in free agency. He's a great friend, great confidant and a great person."
As a general manager, Mayhew played a pivotal role in the Commanders drafting players like Sam Cosmi and Dyami Brown, both of whom had strong 2024 campaigns. Cosmi received a contract extension from the organization prior to Week 1, while Brown set career highs in receiving yards and touchdowns.
Mayhew had experience working with Peters during their time with the San Francisco 49ers, where he served in several roles. Prior to being the club's vice president of player personnel, he held the position of senior personnel executive for the franchise from 2017-18. Mayhew assisted first-time general manager John Lynch and was a major contributor to a personnel department that was vital in the team's Super Bowl appearance in 2019.
During Mayhew's tenure as Lions general manager, he was responsible for the draft selections of Pro Bowlers QB Matthew Stafford, DE Ezekiel Ansah and DT Ndamukong Suh. Suh was a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time First Team All-Pro selection with Detroit and was the 2010 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Mayhew was also responsible for signing WR Golden Tate and S Glover Quin in free agency, both of whom went on to earn Pro Bowl honors in Detroit.
Mayhew played nine seasons in the NFL and was originally selected by the Buffalo Bills in the 10th round (262nd overall) in the 1988 NFL Draft. During Mayhew's nine-year career, he appeared in 118 games (107 starts) for Buffalo (1988), Washington (1989-92) and Tampa Bay (1993-96) and notched 473 tackles, 21 interceptions, 1.0 sack and four forced fumbles. He started at cornerback for the Super Bowl XXVI champion Washington Redskins.
"Just wanted to thank him for all he's given to this franchise and this league," Peters said. "He will be missed ... He's a true Commander."
