2022 NFL General Manager Search Tracker
Along with the head coaches being fired, a few NFL teams are looking for new general managers. Listed below are the GM candidates that have been linked to each of the teams with vacancies, along with their current status.
If and when other teams decide to make GM changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here is the current breakdown:
Updated 5-24-22 (9:03pm CT)
Chicago Bears
- Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, vice president of football operations (Browns): Interviewed 1/13
- Morocco Brown, director of college scouting (Colts): Interviewed 1/24
- Ran Carthon, director of player personnel (49ers): Interview requested
- Glenn Cook, vice president of player personnel (Browns): Interviewed 1/12
- Ed Dodds, vice president of player personnel (Colts): Interview requested
- Jeff Ireland, assistant general manager (Saints): Interviewed 1/14
- Champ Kelly, assistant director of player personnel (Bears): Interviewed 1/13
- Omar Khan, vice president of football and business administration (Steelers): Interviewed 1/24
- Reggie McKenzie, senior personnel executive (Dolphins): Interview requested
- Monti Ossenfort, director of player personnel (Titans): Second interview requested
- Ryan Poles, director of player personnel (Chiefs): Hired
- Joe Schoen, assistant general manager (Giants): Interviewed 1/16
- Rick Smith, former general manager (Texans): Mentioned as candidate
- Eliot Wolf, senior consultant (Patriots): Second interview requested
- JoJo Wooden, director of player personnel (Chargers): Interview requested
Las Vegas Raiders
- Trey Brown, scout (Bengals): Interviewed 1/21
- Ed Dodds, vice president of player personnel (Colts): Interviewed 1/26
- Brandon Hunt, pro scouting director (Steelers): Interviewed 1/25
- Dwayne Joseph, director of pro personnel (Raiders): To interview
- Champ Kelly, assistant director of player personnel (Bears): Interviewed 1/20
- John Spytek, vice president of player personnel (Buccaneers): Interview requested
- Ruston Webster, senior personnel executive (Falcons): Interviewed 1/26
- Dave Ziegler, director of player personnel (Patriots): Hired
Minnesota Vikings
- Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, vice president of football operations (Browns): Hired
- Brandon Brown, director of player personnel (Eagles): Interviewed 1/18
- Glenn Cook, vice president of player personnel (Browns): Interviewed 1/20
- Monti Ossenfort, director of player personnel (Titans): Interviewed 1/16
- Ryan Poles, director of player personnel (Chiefs): Planned second interview 1/26
- Catherine Raiche, vice president of football operations (Eagles): Interviewed 1/17
- John Spytek, vice president of player personnel (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/17
- Eliot Wolf, senior consultant (Patriots): Interviewed 1/20
New York Giants
- Kevin Abrams, assistant general manager (Giants):Mentioned as candidate; interest waning?
- Ran Carthon, director of player personnel (49ers):Interviewed 1/17
- Ryan Cowden, vice president of player personnel (Titans):Interviewed 1/14
- Quentin Harris, vice president of player personnel (Cardinals):Interviewed 1/13
- Joe Hortiz, director or player personnel (Ravens):Interviewed 1/15
- Monti Ossenfort, director of player personnel (Titans):Interviewed 1/14
- Adam Peters, assistant general manager (49ers):Conducted second interview 1/20
- Ryan Poles, executive director of player personnel (Chiefs):Conducted second interview 1/19
- Joe Schoen, assistant general manager (Bills): Hired
- Adrian Wilson, vice president of pro personnel (Cardinals):Interviewed 1/12; “close” to being hired by Jaguars?
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Morocco Brown, college scouting director (Colts): Interviewed
- Ran Carthon, director of player personnel (49ers): Interviewed
- Ryan Cowden, vice president of player personnel (Titans): Conducted second interview
- Ed Dodds, assistant general manager (Colts): Interviewed 2/4
- Joe Hortiz, director of player personnel (Ravens): Interviewed
- Brandon Hunt, pro scouting director (Steelers): Conducted second interview
- Omar Khan, vice president of football and business administration (Steelers): To be hired
- Dan Morgan, assistant general manager (Panthers): Interviewed
- Jerry Reese, former general manager (Giants): Interviewed
- Louis Riddick, former director of pro personnel (Eagles): Interviewed
- Rick Spielman, former general manager (Vikings): Interviewed
- John Spytek, director of player personnel (Buccaneers): To conduct second interview
- Andy Weidl, vice president of player personnel (Eagles): Conducted second interview
- Doug Whaley, vice president of player personnel (XFL): Conducted second interview
- John Wojciechowski, co-director of player personnel (Packers): Interviewed
- JoJo Wooden, director of player personnel (Chargers): Interviewed
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/16/22
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: WR Christian Blake, S Tae Daley, QB Jarrett Guarantano, OL Greg Long, RB T.J. Pledger, WR Jared Smart
- Waived: LB Ron’Dell Carter, OL Marcus Henry, LB Changa Hodge, S Kekaula Kaniho, DL Will Miles, WR Stephon Robinson
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: TE Tucker Fisk
- Waived: WR Chad Hansen, TE Daniel Helm, DB Luther Kirk
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LB Vince Biegel
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DT C.J. Brewer, DT Prince Emili, CB Ja’Marcus Ingram, T Will Ulmer
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: OT Wyatt Miller, TE Jared Scott
- Waived: DB Drew Hartlaub (left squad), CB Troy Pride Jr. (failed physical)
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: CB Junior Faulk
Denver Broncos
- Signed: G Zack Johnson
- Waived: CB Cortez Davis
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OLB Natrez Patrick
- Waived: OLB Jessie Lemonier
Houston Texans
- Claimed: DB Kendall Sheffield (from Falcons), WR Connor Wedington (from 49ers)
- Waived: CB Reggie Robinson
- Waived/injured: S Kolby Harvell-Peel
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: TE Naz Bohannon, WR Marvin Hall, WR Willie Johnson, WR Ryan McDaniel
- Waived: WR Terry Godwin, WR Josh Hammond, S Sean Mahone, OL Marcus Tatum
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: CB Stanford Samuels III, T Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
- Waived: C Brett Heggie, WR Tré Turner
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: LB William Kwenkeu
- Waived: LB Tuf Borland
New England Patriots
- Signed: LS Ross Reiter
- Waived: DB Devin Hafford, QB/WR D’Eriq King
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Keric Wheatfall
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Elijah Jones, T Liam Ryan
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Kameron Brown, DL Mike Greene, TE J.J. Howland
- Waived: DL Kobe Smith, WR Austin Watkins
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: CB Kenneth George
- Placed on IR: S Jamal Carter
Washington Commanders
- Claimed (from Broncos): T Drew Himmelman
- Signed: CB Nijuel Hill, LB Bryce Notree
- Waived: G Zack Bailey, LB Jordan Kunaszyk
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/15/22
We will keep track of today’s minor moves right here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Nick Grant, OL Greg Long
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: S Tre Webb
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: TE Jared Scott
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: QB Felix Harper
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: WR Willie Johnson IV
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: OL Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: WR Jalen McCleskey
Latest On Sam Darnold
With the Panthers waiting until the Day 2 of the draft to add a signal-caller, Sam Darnold remains at the top of the team’s quarterback depth chart. His status as the No. 1 at the position may be temporary, general manager Scott Fitterer detailed recently. 
“Sam is the number one guy right now” he said, via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “He has every opportunity to take it and run with it. We hope he does well. We’ve seen improvement already under [offensive coordinator] Ben McAdoo.”
McAdoo publicly anointed Darnold the starter in the build-up to the draft, though he was quick to walk back his remarks in light of the team’s probability of selecting from this year’s underwhelming QB class. At the time, the Panthers only had Darnold and P.J. Walker under contract; that, and the desire to find a long-term franchise pivot led Carolina to trade into the third round and select Ole Miss alum Matt Corral.
Corral was part of the QB group which – aside from Kenny Pickett – fell considerably in the draft. Concerns related to his ankle injury and interview process turned some teams away from the former Rebel, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Carolina thinks highly enough of him, however, that Fitterer left open the possibility of him playing at some point in 2022.
Another factor in this situation is, of course, the possibility of a reunion with Cam Newton. The former MVP would provide a much more experienced option compared to the rest of the depth chart, though his arrival midway through the 2021 campaign didn’t help ease the team’s struggles. Overall, Fitterer emphasized that the top spot is far from an assurance at this point.
“We’ll see how it goes. [Darnold is] in the lead right now, but until someone really owns that position… it will always be up for grabs.”
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/14/22
Today’s minor moves in the NFL:
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: CB Drew Hartlaub
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: OL Cole Banwart
- Waived: OL Ty Clary (failed physical)
New York Giants
- Signed: DL Ryder Anderson, DB Jordan Mosley
Panthers Looking To Add Pass Rusher
Carolina lost Haason Reddick early in free agency and did not enter the draft holding a Day 2 pick. While the Panthers acquired a third-rounder, they used it to take Matt Corral. After addressing their top needs with their first two selections, the Panthers did not use one of their remaining choices on an edge rusher and are somewhat thin at that position.
Brian Burns returns to anchor Carolina’s edge group, and 2020 second-rounder Yetur Gross-Matos has two years left on his contract, but the team is looking into help here, Joe Person of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Carolina’s $25MM-plus in cap space sits second in the league, and several talented pass rushers remain in free agency.
GM Scott Fitterer was with the Seahawks during Jadeveon Clowney‘s 2019 Seattle season. The Browns are interested in re-signing Clowney, a South Carolina native, but the former No. 1 overall pick is not in a rush. Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Houston, Melvin Ingram and Trey Flowers are the other top names available. Flowers, 28, is the only member of the latter contingent south of 30. He also struggled while on his big-ticket Lions contract. The Ravens and Chiefs, respectively, placed UFA tenders on Houston and Ingram. This does not tie either player to those AFC teams, but both are entitled to 110% of their 2021 salaries. Whitney Mercilus and Ryan Kerrigan are also available.
Working in rotational roles in 2020 and ’21, Gross-Matos has six career sacks and 10 quarterback hits. The Panthers re-signed 2018 fourth-round pick Marquis Haynes, who combined for seven sacks in that span. The Panthers could see some of their salary cap space turn into Baker Mayfield, but the team wants the Browns to eat a sizable chunk of the quarterback’s salary in a trade. Carolina should still have some free funds to pursue a veteran edge — likely on a one-year deal — should Fitterer, Matt Rhule and Co. deem Burns’ current supporting cast insufficient.
Burns, who is now extension-eligible, attended Carolina’s initial OTAs but is now working out on his own in Florida, per Person. He is expected to attend the team’s mandatory June minicamp. The Panthers picked up Burns’ fifth-year option for 2023, fully guaranteeing him a $16MM salary next year. Teams are often hesitant about extending non-quarterbacks with two years of control remaining, though Fitterer has indicated a desire to extend Burns. The Panthers also have shown a willingness to do early extensions, having given Christian McCaffrey a record-setting deal when two years remained on his rookie contract. They waited until this offseason to extend D.J. Moore, who was to go into his fifth-year option season.
Panthers Still Considering Re-Signing QB Cam Newton
The Panthers are still monitoring the Cam Newton situation. After having been connected to the veteran quarterback throughout the offseason, Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer said that the front office is keeping “lines of communication” with the QB’s camp.
“I think we’re still having thoughts,” Fitterer said during an appearance on PFTPM (passed along by Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com). “We have to see how this works out here throughout the spring. I just happened to be up at the [Kentucky] Derby last weekend and Cam was up there. We’re texting a little bit. The lines of communication are open. I know Coach Rhule has spoken with him. We are going to have a discussion at some point but we’re just not quite there yet, but we’ll see how it goes. The more competition we have at that position the better.”
Newton always seemed like a fallback option for the organization. Even after losing out in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes, the organization has still been connected to the likes of Baker Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo. There’s a good chance that the Panthers will wait out both of those situations before committing to Newton, and the former MVP’s return to Carolina would surely be contingent on the organization not adding another veteran at the position.
In nine seasons in Charlotte from 2011 to 2019, Newton earned two Pro Bowls and led the team to a Super Bowl after a 15-1 campaign in 2015. His production has tailed off considerably since then, however. After getting cut by the Patriots following an underwhelming one-year stint in New England, Newton caught on with the Panthers in November. He ended up getting into eight games (five starts) for Carolina, completing 54.8 percent of his passes for 684 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions. He added another 230 rushing yards and five scores on 47 carries.
At the moment, former third-overall pick Sam Darnold leads the Panthers depth chart, although the organization did add some competition at the position after drafting Matt Corral in the third round of the draft. The team is also still rostering P.J. Walker, who’s won both of his starts across two seasons with the team.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/12/22
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DL Kingsley Keke
Carolina Panthers
- Released: OT Aaron Monteiro, WR Aaron Parker
Chicago Bears
- Released: WR Cyrus Holder, WR Henry Litwin
Detroit Lions
- Waived: S Jalen Elliott, WR Javon McKinley
Las Vegas Raiders
- Released: QB Garrett Gilbert
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/11/22
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: DT Xavier Kelly
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: LB Azur Kamara
Chicago Bears
- Claimed (from Giants): TE Rysen John
- Waived/failed physical: TE Jesper Horsted
Detroit Lions
- Waived: QB Steven Montez
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed (from Colts): TE Eli Wolf
- Waived: WR Chris Blair
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: OL Jared Hocker
New England Patriots
- Claimed (from Lions): TE Matthew Sokol
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: RB Josh Adams, DT Braxton Hoyett
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Reverted to IR: CB Isaiah Johnson
Panthers Sign Round 1 T Ikem Ekwonu
Three of the draft’s top six picks have agreed to their rookie deals. The Panthers announced Tuesday night they came to terms with Ikem Ekwonu, the No. 6 overall choice. This signing follows the Lions and Jets getting their top picks (Aidan Hutchinson and Sauce Gardner) under contract.
The slot deal is worth $27.6MM, fully guaranteed, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The Panthers will enjoy at least three years of their new left tackle being attached to a rookie contract — one that can run through 2026, via the fifth-year option.
Ekwonu panning out would fill one of the NFL’s longest-standing needs. The Panthers have started a different primary left tackle in each of the past nine seasons, seeing the position fall into disarray after Jordan Gross‘ 2014 retirement. Although Carolina made this setup work at points during this run, venturing to playoff brackets and Super Bowl 50, it has been one of the NFL’s least steady positions.
The Giants taking Kayvon Thibodeaux at No. 5 meant the Panthers would have their pick of the draft’s top tackles, and they went with the North Carolina State blocker. Ekwonu has experience at tackle and guard. He earned second-team All-ACC acclaim as a sophomore and first-team all-conference accolades last season. The in-state prospect, who is also a Charlotte native, is the top new addition to a Carolina line that is set to feature new starters in Bradley Bozeman and Austin Corbett. Ekwonu will attempt to carve out a long-term role opposite longtime right tackle starter Taylor Moton.