Vikings rumors: 5 candidates emerge as frontrunners for GM position

The Minnesota Vikings fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on Jan. 30. The team has gone through the bulk of the offseason, including the 2026 NFL Draft and the start of free agency, without a permanent general manager to build out the roster. Instead, longtime team executive Rob Brzezinski has been making the personnel decisions for the team while they figure out who will be the next GM.

The team has been diligent in its search for the lead decision-maker, and five candidates have emerged as frontrunners for the job. Jonathan Jones reported that the Vikings have requested in-person second-round interviews for Brzezinski, Reed Burckhardt, Terrance Gray, John McKay, and Nolan Teasley.

Brzezinski has been with the Vikings since 1999, where he started as the director of football administration before being promoted to vice president of football administration. Brzezinski has been the team’s executive vice president of football operations since 2014. Burckhardt and Gray have an extended history with the Vikings, too. Burckhardt is currently working as the assistant general manager for the Denver Broncos, but he was the director of pro scouting for 13 years in Minnesota before that. Gray spent 11 years as a college scout for the Vikings before landing the Buffalo Bills assistant general manager gig.

McKay is the assistant general manager of the Los Angeles Rams. He has a history working with Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell. Teasley was the second-leading decision-maker for a Seattle Seahawks team that just won Super Bowl 60.

Minnesota didn’t have a general manager during key dates of the offseason, which was somewhat of a surprise because the next GM will inherit a roster that already made moves for the future. Notably, Kyler Murray was brought in to compete with recent first-round pick J.J. McCarthy for the starting quarterback gig. Perhaps that gives Brzezinski a leg up on the competition. Regardless, a decision on who will be the next Vikings general manager will be coming soon.