As the Denver Broncos have gotten better on the field over the last few years, they’ve also gotten better in the front office.
And just like the product on the field, the product in the front office is getting noticed — and other teams want to swoop in and steal some of that magic.
In this case, the Minnesota Vikings are in pursuit of a new general manager and have highly-regarded Broncos assistant general manager Reed Burckhardt in their sights.
“The Vikings requested interviews with Lions assistant GM Ray Agnew, Broncos assistant GM Reed Burckhardt and Dolphins assistant GM Kyle Smith for their general manager job, sources say,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero wrote on his official X account on Tuesday. “Minnesota’s initial round of virtual interviews is underway and the list has now expanded.”
Burckhardt followed Paton from the Vikings to the Broncos when Paton was hired as general manager in 2021.
“I think Reed’s a star that people don’t even know about yet,” Birmingham Stallions general manager and former Vikings scout Paul Roell told The Denver Post in August 2025.
Small-Town Minnesota to Big-Time NFL Exec
Burckhardt hails from tiny Russell, Minnesota — population 348 — and played quarterback for South Dakota State before catching on with the Vikings as an intern, then catching the eye of former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman because of his work ethic.
“I think Reed,” Spielman said in 2025, “is going to be a future general manager.”
In March 2025, Burckhardt now-famously conducted the 1st day of free agency from a hospital room after his wife gave birth, cutting deals for a trio of free agents in safety Talanoa Hufanga, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, and special teams ace Trent Sherfield.
Broncos Signed George Paton to 5-Year Extension
Burckhardt is known in most circles as Paton’s right-hand man — the 2 have worked together for 16 years — and got to see Paton’s ascent to becoming 1 of the NFL’s most respected general managers.
The Broncos acknowledge as much when they signed Paton to 5-year contract extension on May 8 that keeps him with the Broncos through at least 2030.
“Source: Broncos and GM George Paton reached agreement on a five-year deal that runs through the 2030 season,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account.
The Vikings were rumored to have reached out to Paton for their opening — Minnesota has been without a general manager since firing Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in January.
Adofo-Mensah was criticized — and ultimately lost his job — for trying to translate an analytics-based approach to running an NFL team that ultimately did not work. The crowning failure was letting Pro Bowl quarterback Sam Darnold leave for the Seattle Seahawks and a relatively modest 3-year, $100 million contract in free agency after Darnold went 14-3 with the Vikings in 2024.
The Vikings, who thought 2nd year quarterback J.J. McCarthy was a better play, went 9-8 and missed the playoffs. The Vikings signed free agent Kyler Murray to ostensibly replace McCarthy in 2026.
Darnold led the Seahawks to a 14-3 record, the No. 1 seed in the NFC Playoffs, and a Super Bowl win. He also made another Pro Bowl.
“All told, the Vikings have gotten less production out of Adofo-Mensah’s four drafts (172 starts) than all but one NFL team,” ESPN’s Kevin Seifert wrote. “For perspective, the average NFL team has received 368 starts from players drafted over that period.”
Broncos ‘Star’ Being Pursued by Desperate NFC Team