EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Dave Gettleman today concluded a long and distinguished NFL career that included three Super Bowl victories when he announced his retirement, just 24 hours after the Giants played their final game of the 2021 season.

He was a scout and executive in the league for 35 years, including 19 in two stints with the Giants, the last four as the team's senior vice president and general manager.

The Giants will immediately begin the process of finding Gettleman's successor.

Gettleman addressed the players and coaches, who yesterday concluded a 4-13 season with a 22-7 loss to the Washington Football Team in MetLife Stadium.

When Gettleman was introduced as the Giants' general manager on Dec. 29, 2017, he became just the fourth person to hold that position since 1979, following Pro Football Hall of Famer George Young, Ernie Accorsi and Jerry Reese.

Under Gettleman's direction, the Giants acquired through the NFL Draft, trades or free agency many of their most productive and promising players. The list includes quarterback Daniel Jones; running backs Saquon Barkley and Devontae Booker; wide receivers Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney; tackle Andrew Thomas; defensive linemen Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence; linebackers Blake Martinez and Azeez Ojulari; defensive backs James Bradberry, Logan Ryan, Xavier McKinney and Adoree' Jackson; and kicker Graham Gano.  

Gettleman, who will turn 71 next month, previously spent 15 seasons with the Giants (1998-2012). He joined the franchise in the spring of 1998 as director of pro personnel Tim Rooney's assistant. Gettleman was promoted to pro personnel director in the spring of 1999 upon Rooney's retirement. After the Giants won Super Bowl XLVI in February 2012, Gettleman became the team's senior pro personnel analyst.

From 2013-17, Gettleman was the Carolina Panthers' general manager. In his four full seasons with the Panthers, they won three consecutive NFC South Division titles, an NFC Championship and played in Super Bowl 50. Gettleman received The Sporting News' 2015 NFL Executive of the Year Award after the Panthers compiled a league-best 17-2 record.

Carolina's NFC South titles from 2013-15 marked the first time the Panthers earned three consecutive postseason berths in franchise history. Carolina joined Denver and New England as the only franchises with at least three consecutive division titles from 2013-16.

The Panthers' 34 regular-season victories over that time represent the team's best-ever three-year stretch.

Gettleman was instrumental in the acquisitions of numerous players who helped the Giants advance to Super Bowls XXXV, XLII and XLVI. In 2000, he was a driving force in the free agent signings of Lomas Brown, Glenn Parker and Dusty Zeigler, which vastly improved the offensive line. The Giants also acquired eight-year veteran linebacker Micheal Barrow, who started all but one game at middle linebacker and finished second on the team in tackles.

The 2007 world champions received huge contributions from acquisitions highly touted by Gettleman. They included leading receiver Plaxico Burress, who caught the Super Bowl-winning touchdown pass; defensive captain and leading tackler Antonio Pierce; center Shaun O'Hara; tackle Kareem McKenzie; defensive tackle Fred Robbins; linebacker Kawika Mitchell; cornerbacks Sam Madison and R.W. McQuarters; running back Reuben Droughns; and Lawrence Tynes, the only kicker in NFL history with two game-winning overtime field goals in the postseason.

Four years later, the Giants won another championship with Gettleman-inspired acquisitions playing a key role. They included safety Antrel Rolle and linebacker Michael Boley, the team's top two tacklers with 96 and 91, respectively; defensive tackles Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard; and punter Steve Weatherford.

Gettleman has been part of seven Super Bowl teams, including three winners, with four franchises. He was with Buffalo in 1990 and 1991; Denver in 1997; the Giants in 2000, 2007 and 2011; and Carolina in 2015. The Broncos and the 2007 and 2011 Giants won the championship. Gettleman has been associated with 16 playoff teams in his NFL career.

Gettleman entered the NFL in 1986 as a scouting department intern for the Buffalo Bills. He became a full-time scout for Buffalo after the 1987 draft. Following a year as an area scout, Gettleman was assigned as the Bills' representative to the BLESTO scouting combine and continued in that capacity through the 1992 draft as the Northeast area scout. From June 1992 through December 1993, Gettleman worked as a regional scout for BLESTO, concentrating in the East and Midwest regions. In January 1994, Gettleman joined the scouting department of the Broncos, for whom he spent more than four years in the East and Southeast regions.