The Vikings are currently the NFL’s only team without a general manager. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah‘s firing has left Rob Brzezinski in place atop the front office until after the draft.
Brzezinski will have some assistance during his interim GM stint. The Vikings are hiring Matt Thomas to serve as a football administration consultant through to April’s draft, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report. Thomas (whose arrival is now official) worked as the Seahawks’ VP of football operations from 2013-24 before retiring. This short-term gig will give Minnesota a veteran voice in the front office.
Thomas and Brzezinski worked together when they were both with the Dolphins for the 1998 and ’99 seasons (h/t ESPN’s Kevin Seifert). This reunion will last through free agency and the draft, and it will see Thomas take on a key role relating to the salary cap. He will work alongside Emily Badis in that capacity and by doing so allow Brzezinski to focus on other matters during his brief tenure as general manager.
The timing of Adofo-Mensah’s dismissal caught many by surprise. By parting ways as late in the hiring cycle as the Vikings did, they left themselves short on replacement options. Jon-Eric Sullivan (Dolphins) and Ian Cunningham (Falcons) are no longer candidates for Minnesota since they accepted GM offers elsewhere. Minnesota’s spring search will make for an interesting team storyline late in the offseason, and the team’s new full-time general manager will inherit a roster shaped in no small part by Brzezinski over the coming months.
The Vikings are one of several teams currently projected to be over the cap for 2026; Over the Cap has them in the red by more than $40MM. A number of cuts, extensions and restructures will be required over the coming weeks as a result. Thomas’ presence could prove to be key as Minnesota’s financial setup for 2026 takes shape.