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Sports Illustrated

Sport

Mike Kadlick

Inside the Vikings’ GM Search: What to Know About Every Candidate

Vikings NFL Dave Ziegler Minnesota (Organization) Raiders Chad Alexander John McKay Kirby LeeImagn Kwesi AdofoMensah Chargers

The Vikings are on the hunt for a new general manager after firing Kwesi Adofo-Mensah earlier this year.

Minnesota—who selected nine players in the 2026 draft, including first-round pick Caleb Banks—handed the keys to the personnel department to longtime executive Rob Brzezinski in the interim, but is now conducting a full search for its next man in charge. They have begun requesting interviews with candidates, and per NFL rule, must abide by the league's Rooney Rule as they search for their next general manager.

RELATED: In the End, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s Shaky NFL Draft History Came Back to Haunt Him

Here’s a closer look at the Vikings’ list of general manager candidates.

Chad Alexander

Career history:

Baltimore Ravens: Pro personnel assistant (1999 to ’02), Scout (’03 to ’08), Assistant director of player personnel (’09 to ’18)
New York Jets: Director of player personnel (’18 to ’24)
Los Angeles Chargers: Assistant general manager (’24 to present)

Chad Alexander, a Wake Forest graduate, began his NFL career with the Ravens as a pro personnel assistant with the Ravens and spent just over 20 years with the organization—winning two Super Bowl titles (XXXV, XLVII) in the process. He then spent time with the Jets from 2018 to ’23 before landing with the Chargers in ’24, where he spent the past two seasons as their assistant general manager under Joe Hortiz.

Rob Brzezinski

Career history:

Miami Dolphins: Staff counsel and salary cap manager (1993 to ’98)
Minnesota Vikings: Director of football administration (’99 to ’00), vice president of football administration (’01 to ’13), Executive vice president of football operations (’14 to present)

Rob Brzezinski spent six years with the Dolphins as staff counsel and salary cap manager from 1993 to ’98 before cutting his teeth in personnel with the Vikings over the past two decades. He’s spent the past 11 seasons as Minnesota’s EVP of football operations, and has taken over Adofo-Mensah’s general manager duties in the interim since February.

RJ Gillen

Career history:

San Francisco 49ers: Scouting assistant (2015 to ’17), Pro personnel scout (’17 to ’21), director of pro personnel (’21 to ’24), director of player personnel (’24 to ’25), assistant general manager (’25 to present)

Currently serving as the 49ers’ assistant general manager under John Lynch, RJ Gillen’s lone NFL front office experience has come in San Francisco—where he’s spent the past 11 seasons. Prior to his time in The Bay, Gillen was a front office intern with the San Antonio Spurs in 2013 and also spent time as a college football scout for NCSA Athletic Recruiting.

Terrance Gray

Career history:

Kansas City Chiefs: Player development coordinator (2003 to ’05)
Minnesota Vikings: College scout (’06 to ’16)
Buffalo Bills: Front office role (’17 to ’19), assistant director of player personnel (’20 to ’21), director of player personnel (’22 to ’24), assistant general manager (’25)

As Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer pointed out earlier this year, Terrance Gray is “on the doorstep” of becoming a general manager, having interviewed with the Raiders, Chargers, Jaguars and Titans over the past two cycles. He also has familiarity with the Vikings, having spent 11 seasons in Minnesota from 2006 to ’16 as a college scout. Gray began his NFL career in with the Chiefs as a player development coordinator.

John McKay

Career history:

Los Angeles Rams: Scouting assistant (2016 to ’17), pro scout (’17 to ’19), assistant director of pro scouting (’19 to ’21), director of pro scouting (’21 to ’25), assistant general manager (’25 to present)

The son of longtime NFL executive Rich McKay, John began his NFL career as a scouting assistant with the Rams in 2016 and has spent the past 10 years in Los Angeles’s front office. He was the team’s director of pro scouting when they won Super Bowl LVI in 2021, and has since been promoted to assistant general manager under Les Snead.

Nolan Teasley

Career history:

Seattle Seahawks: Scouting intern (2013), pro personnel scout (’14 to ’16), assistant director of pro personnel (’17), director of pro personnel (’18 to ’22), assistant general manager (’23 to present)

Nolan Teasley has spent his entire NFL career with the Seahawks, beginning as a scouting intern with the club in 2013. He’s since worked his way up to assistant general manager—and helped John Schneider build a Super Bowl LX-winning roster this past season.

Dave Ziegler

Career history:

Denver Broncos: Player personnel assistant (2010), Scout (’11 to ’12)
New England Patriots: Assistant director of pro scouting (’13 to ’15), director of pro personnel (’16 to ’19), assistant director of player personnel (’20), director of player personnel (’21)
Las Vegas Raiders: General manager (’22 to ’23)
New Orleans Saints: Personnel advisor (’24)
Tennessee Titans: Assistant general manager (’25 to present)

Dave Ziegler has been around the block as an NFL executive, spending time with the Broncos, Patriots, Raiders, Saints and Titans since 2010. His longest role came in New England, where he served several different roles within the front office over eight season and winning three Super Bowl titles (XLIX, LI, LIII) in the process. Ziegler has general manager experience as well, serving as the Raiders’ lead personnel executive from ’22 to ’23.