There had been speculation for months that the Minnesota Vikings might bring back a familiar face for their recently opened general manager position.
That speculation can now fully be closed with the news that current Denver Broncos GM and former Minnesota executive George Paton has signed a new five-year extension according to Tom Pelissero.
The Vikings Are Now Officially Out of the George Paton Race
In the early days after the Vikings fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Paton was a big favorite for the job among fans and media alike. The Athletic’s Alec Lewis noted that the fit would be ideal on many fronts.
“For several years, Paton’s name has come up in conversations about what the Vikings might do if they move on from Adofo-Mensah,” wrote Lewis.
“Paton checks every box. Because he worked with the Vikings from 2007 to 2020, he understands how the Wilfs operate, what they want done and how they want it done. Because he has been the Denver Broncos’ general manager since 2021, he knows the complex layers of the role. His experience with coach Sean Payton, who has significant influence over personnel, would be useful in collaborating with O’Connell and defensive coordinator Brian Flores. His personnel history fits perfectly among the Vikings’ decision-makers.”
“Perhaps the most telling component of his potential return is how far Broncos owner Greg Penner and Payton will go to prevent him from leaving.”
Well, it appears that Penner and Payton were determined to go the distance in order to keep their head man around and away from the Vikings. There was little doubt that Denver ever considered letting him go, but a return to Minnesota might have been tempting for Paton. Now, the Vikings will turn their eyes elsewhere.
Where Do the Vikings Turn with Paton Out of the Picture?
So far, including interim Rob Brzezinski, the Vikings have requested interviews with seven candidates. That list includes Los Angeles Chargers assistant GM Chad Alexander, San Francisco 49ers assistant GM RJ Gillen, Buffalo Bills assistant GM Terrance Gray, Los Angeles Rams assistant GM John McKay, Seattle Seahawks assistant GM Nolan Teasley, and Tennessee Titans assistant GM Dave Ziegler.
While Brzezinski has impressed in his short time as GM, bringing in players like Kyler Murray, Jauan Jennings and No. 18 overall pick Caleb Banks, the Vikings are intent on exploring all of their options. Lewis mentioned that they may even keep Brzezinski and a newly-hired GM.
“Wilf rejected the idea of a president-style structure in late March, but it still might make sense to keep Brzezinski around while also adding some external personnel perspective,” wrote Lewis.
“This role would require a specific type of candidate: someone who would be mostly comfortable as an information disseminator, a staffer with ties to college and around the NFL who could funnel intel to all areas of the staff. In this scenario, the Vikings would be returning to a setup similar to the one they had with Spielman, executive George Paton and Brzezinski alongside then-head coach Mike Zimmer.”
With OTA’s and training camp fast approaching, Minnesota will likely tab their next general manager within the coming weeks.
One Popular Vikings GM Candidate is Officially Out of the Running