Vikings GM Race Is Tighter Than You Think
The Minnesota Vikings GM search is heating up — and The Real Forno Show has the full breakdown. Host Tyler Forness, beat writer and NFL draft guru, sits down with coaching and GM candidate expert A.J. Schulte to rank all seven candidates vying to be Minnesota’s next general manager.
Breaking down every Vikings GM candidate — and who should actually get the job.
Key Takeaways from This Episode:
Rob Brzezinski (Internal) — Described as a “low risk, safe hire without a lot of upside.” His existing relationship with Kevin O’Connell is a genuine plus, but questions remain about whether he’s ready to lead a franchise.
Dave Ziegler (Titans) — His Raiders tenure was too tied to Josh McDaniels to evaluate fairly. Schulte called him “a risk that is completely unnecessary.”
Nolan Teasley (Seahawks) — A widely respected pro scout who was central to the Russell Wilson trade and Seattle’s recent draft turnaround. May be “a year too soon,” but worth a serious look.
R.J. Gillen (49ers) — Unique background spanning the NBA, law, and NFL front offices. A multi-role contributor in San Francisco’s winning culture.
John McKay (Rams) — Has a pre-existing relationship with O’Connell from their time together in LA. Schulte praised his organizational ability: “He’s going to come in and lead the committees — develop the vision, build this from the ground up.”
Terrance Gray (Bills) — Eleven years with the Vikings organization before Brandon Beane poached him. Widely respected evaluator who has won the league’s internal Bart Award for best draft multiple times.
Chad Alexander (Chargers) — The consensus top choice. Schulte’s pick #1, Forness’s pick #1. Culture-first leader who learned from Ozzie Newsome and builds trust from day one.
LIVE WELL ~ LOVE MUCH ~ LAUGH OFTEN
I was thinking we might hear something by end of week...Might be premature/wishful thinking.
I have a gut feeling on Gray from Bills.
My #1 is McKay - Maybe Alexander needs to be considered more strongly??
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
Alexander and McKay would be the top two choices IMO from what I've heard from people in the know. I prefer the idea of bringing someone in from the outside who has been a part of a winning organization that has done well drafting. I wouldn't be opposed to elevating Brez into a higher executive role and let him continue to be involved but still manage contracts and cap space. He's been one of the best in the business there.
Honestly? I'll be fine with whomever. What the hell do I know about it anyway, lol? I'm not interviewing the candidates, I don't get to hear their responses or see their strategic plans for the organization.
Just hire someone and lets keep it movin'.
“Now, he is perhaps the favorite to become the (#Vikings) full-time GM — or a fixture in a new-look structure pairing him with an executive focused on personnel.”
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) May 12, 2026
- @alec_lewis on Rob Brzezinski, via @TheAthletic pic.twitter.com/mw4csGV12u
“Now, he is perhaps the favorite to become the (#Vikings) full-time GM — or a fixture in a new-look structure pairing him with an executive focused on personnel.”
-
StickierBuns wrote:
VikingzFanPage
16m
“Now, he is perhaps the favorite to become the (#Vikings) full-time GM — or a fixture in a new-look structure pairing him with an executive focused on personnel.”
-
@alec_lewis on Rob Brzezinski, via @TheAthletic
Or, overseeing an exec focused on personnel...Wouldnt surprise me if Brez does get the bump-up in title (and compensation). Having him stay in the org is a good thing. He's just not the change I want at GM/Personnel.
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
Anybody think the Wilf's have a clue how to fill this position? I mean they are considering making Brez some sort of defacto GM while adding somebody to guide him with personnel decisions. Let's scrap the triangle of authority and go with the rectangle of authority with KOC, Flores, Bres, and an unnamed executive focused on personnel. What a clusterfuck this could turn out to be. Think they will go with the low risk, safe hire without a lot of upside just because they went with an external hire last time and it didn't work out. If that happens what an underwhelming decision.
I think they were at least savvy enough to bring in an outside consultant with experience in this area. Whether or not it results in a good GM? Your guess is as good as mine...
For their 2026 General Manager search following the departure of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the Wilf family engaged the search firm TurnkeyZRG to assist in identifying candidates. [1, 2]
The search process was described as a combination of external consulting and internal oversight: [1]
External Firm: TurnkeyZRG was hired to conduct a wide-ranging search for experienced football executives, emerging candidates, and diverse backgrounds.
Internal Committee: The Wilfs utilized a "small internal advisory committee of senior leaders," which included Chief Operating Officer Andrew Miller.
Football Administration Consultant: The team also added Matt Thomas as a football administration consultant to assist during the transition period
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
I'd prefer the Vikes hire an outsider for GM, though I'd certainly be OK if Brez gets the nod (like many other posters I would hope Brez would stay and get promoted). I'd prefer an outsider solely for the reason of networking, who the outsider knows and the resources he can tap into. Sometimes it's not what you know but rather who you know.
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