The Minnesota Vikings made headlines this week with the firing of general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah-a move that, while not entirely unexpected, still raised eyebrows across the league. After a season that fell short of expectations, someone was bound to take the fall.
But the timing? That’s where things get strange.
Adofo-Mensah was on the ground at the Senior Bowl, actively participating in the early stages of draft prep, just days before he was let go. For a team in the thick of offseason scouting, pulling the plug on your GM mid-process is, at best, unconventional. And with the NFL Draft just a few months away, the Vikings now find themselves in a holding pattern.
Rather than rush a hire, Minnesota is pressing pause on its GM search until after April’s draft. In the interim, longtime executive Rob Brzezinski will step in to lead the front office. Brzezinski, who’s been a fixture in the Vikings' organization for years, brings stability and institutional knowledge to the role, and he’s a natural candidate to be considered for the permanent position once the team begins its formal search.
But here’s the thing: Vikings ownership, led by Mark Wilf, has promised a “thorough” post-draft process to find the next GM. That means casting a wide net and doing the homework-no shortcuts. Anything less would invite skepticism from a fanbase and football world that’s watching closely.
One thing is clear: the next general manager is likely to look very different from the one just shown the door. Adofo-Mensah came from a non-traditional background, with a resume rooted more in analytics and economics than in scouting and personnel evaluation. That approach was bold, progressive-and, depending on who you ask, either a refreshing change or a step too far from football’s traditional roots.
Now, the pendulum appears set to swing back the other way. The expectation is that Minnesota will seek out a more conventional football mind this time around-someone with a strong scouting pedigree, a deep understanding of roster construction, and years in the trenches evaluating talent the old-fashioned way.
One name that’s already generating buzz? George Paton.
Paton is currently the general manager of the Denver Broncos, a position he’s held since 2021. But before his time in Denver, Paton spent over a decade in Minnesota’s front office.
He joined the Vikings in 2007 and climbed the ladder from director of player personnel to assistant GM and vice president of player personnel. His fingerprints are all over some of the more successful rosters the franchise has built in the past 15 years.
Before Minnesota, Paton worked with the Miami Dolphins and got his start as a scout with the Chicago Bears. He’s a football lifer, and his résumé reads like a blueprint for what the Vikings may be looking for now-a seasoned evaluator with a deep understanding of the game and a proven track record in traditional front office roles.
Of course, there’s a big caveat: Paton still has a year left on his deal in Denver. If the Broncos decide to extend him, that would likely take him off the board for Minnesota. But if he enters May without a new contract, his ties to the Vikings and his longstanding relationship with ownership could make him a serious contender.
For now, the Vikings are in a bit of a limbo. Brzezinski will steer the ship through the draft, and then the real search begins.
But make no mistake-this next hire is a pivotal one. After experimenting with a bold, analytics-driven approach, Minnesota appears ready to return to its football roots.
The challenge is finding the right person to lead that charge.
And if George Paton is available when the time comes, don’t be surprised if the Vikings decide to bring one of their own back home.