The Minnesota Vikings wrapped up their unusual 2026 NFL Draft this weekend, unsure of who would be running the show just weeks from now.
After firing general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah this spring, the Vikings moved longtime executive Rob Brzezinski into an interim role. And while he has the support of the staff, there’s no guarantee that ownership will remove that interim tag.
Kevin Seifert of ESPN said that the Wilfs remain very open in the search for a new GM, and by no means does Brzezinski hold any sort of advantage.
“There remains plenty of support among staffers for Brzezinski to get a promotion, even as he has continued to put off those discussions,” wrote Seifert. “By all indications, the Wilfs are going to run a genuinely open-ended search. It could include Brzezinski, but he is in no way a preferred candidate.”
“Much of the Vikings’ existing front office hangs in the balance. Adofo-Mensah hired two assistant general managers in Ryan Grigson and Demitrius Washington, but the majority of the personnel department remained intact from predecessor Rick Spielman’s tenure. Their futures would be much more secure if Brzezinski was promoted than if a new general manager was hired from the outside.”
Rob Brzezinski Still Faces an Uphill Battle Towards Earning the Vikings GM Job
After more than two decades with the team, Brzezinski is well-respected inside of the Vikings building. A salary cap wizard, he’s been instrumental to the team’s success over the years, but his chances at becoming the full-time general manager have one big hurdle to clear.
Brzezinski comes from a business background, not a football one. He’s not a scout, he didn’t play in the league, and the Wilfs are already a bit hesitant to go that route again after the failed Adofo-Mensah experiment.
While Brzezinski fared well in his first, and maybe only draft, Vikings’ ownership is still adamant that a wide net will be cast in their search for the next general manager.
“It would be understandable for an outside observer to watch the Vikings’ offseason and conclude that the Wilfs installed Brzezinski to perform the dirty job of imposing financial order, setting up the next general manager with a much cleaner slate,” Seifert said.
Minnesota Doesn’t Seem to be Done Making Offseason Moves
Meanwhile, Brzezinski is still working behind the scenes until a decision is made, and Minnesota may have their answer at WR3 by the end of the week.
ESPN Insider Adam Schefter reported that the Vikings are hosting free agent wide receiver Jauan Jennings on a visit.
Jennings is coming off a nice season with San Francisco where he reeled in 55 catches for 643 yards and nine touchdowns. He and the Niners were at a stalemate for a new contract, and ultimately both team and player decided to move on.
There’s no question Jennings would boost the Viking receiver room, but he likely wouldn’t come cheap. Still, the Vikings cleared over $30 million over the next two seasons after dealing Jonathan Greenard, and Brzezinski could already be putting those savings to use.
Vikings Insider Provides Key Insight Into the Upcoming GM Search