2021 NFL General Manager Search Tracker
This year’s NFL GM carousel figures to be more active than usual. The Falcons, Lions, Panthers, Texans, and Jaguars are all on the hunt for a new front office leader. And that’s only the official list. The real tally shows six clubs looking for a GM, since the Washington Football Team is expected to install a GM to work alongside head coach Ron Rivera. By mid-January, we could easily see a couple more jobs opening up — that’d put ~25% of the NFL on the market.
We’ll keep track of the GM candidates for each club here, along with their current status. If and when other teams decide to make general manager changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here’s the current breakdown:
Updated 1-19-21 (7:02pm CT)
Atlanta Falcons
- Morocco Brown, Colts college scouting director: Interviewed
- Terry Fontenot, Saints VP/assistant GM: Hired
- Brad Holmes, Rams director of college scouting: To receive second interview, finalist for position
- Anthony Robinson, Falcons director of college scouting: Interviewed
- Joe Schoen, Bills assistant GM: To be interviewed
- Rick Smith, former Texans general manager: Interviewed; finalist for position
Carolina Panthers
- Mike Borgonzi, Chiefs player personnel director: Rumored candidate
- Nick Caserio, Patriots VP of player personnel: Interviewed
- Ed Dodds, Colts assistant GM: Interviewed; name withdrawn from search
- Scott Fitterer, Seahawks VP of player personnel: Hired
- Champ Kelly, Bears assistant player personnel director: Interviewed
- Omar Khan, Steelers VP of football and business administration: Interviewed
- Jeff Ireland, Saints assistant GM: Interviewed
- Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Browns VP of football operations: Interviewed
- Monti Ossenfort, Titans player personnel director: To receive second interview
- George Paton, Vikings assistant GM: Rumored candidate; withdrew name from consideration
- Adam Peters, 49ers VP of player personnel: To receive second interview
- Ryan Poles, Chiefs assistant player personnel director: Received second interview
- Jerry Reese, former Giants general manager: Interviewed
- Joe Schoen, Bills assistant GM: Interviewed
- Pat Stewart, Panthers player personnel director: Interviewed
- Samir Suleiman, Panthers director of player negotiations: Interviewed
- Brandt Tilis, Chiefs football administration director: Interviewed
Denver Broncos
- Terry Fontenot, Saints vice president of pro personnel: To receive second interview
- Champ Kelly, Bears assistant director of player personnel: Interviewed
- George Paton, Vikings assistant GM: Hired
- Brian Stark, Broncos director of college scouting: To be interviewed
- Dave Ziegler, Patriots assistant player personnel director: To be interviewed; bowed out of search
Detroit Lions
- Kevin Colbert, Steelers general manager: Rumored candidate
- Thomas Dimitroff, former Falcons general manager: Interviewed
- Terry Fontenot, Saints assistant GM: Interviewed
- Brad Holmes, Rams director of college scouting: Hired
- Jeff Ireland, Saints assistant GM: Interviewed
- Rob Lohman, Lions director of pro scouting: Interviewed
- Lance Newmark, Lions director of player personnel: Interviewed
- Kyle O’Brien, Lions VP of player personnel: Interviewed
- George Paton, Vikings assistant GM: Interviewed
- Scott Pioli, former Chiefs GM/NFL Network analyst: Interviewed
- Louis Riddick, ESPN analyst/former Eagles exec: Interviewed
- John Schneider, Seahawks general manager: Rumored candidate; signed Seahawks extension
- Rick Smith, former Texans general manager: Interviewed
Houston Texans
- Matt Bazirgan, Texans player personnel director: Interviewed
- Malik Boyd, Bills pro scouting director: Interviewed
- Nick Caserio, Patriots VP of player personnel: Hired
- Scott Cohen, Ravens football research director: Interview requested
- Omar Khan, Steelers VP of football and business administration: Interviewed; received job offer
- Trent Kirchner, Seahawks VP of player personnel: Interviewed
- Ozzie Newsome, Ravens executive vice president: Preferred candidate
- Louis Riddick, ESPN analyst/former Eagles exec: Interviewed
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Trent Baalke, interim Jaguars GM: Expected to be hired
- Ray Farmer, former Browns general manager: To be interviewed
- Terry Fontenot, Saints assistant GM: Interview requested
- Jerry Reese, former Giants GM: Interviewed
- Louis Riddick, ESPN analyst/former Eagles exec: Interviewed
- Rick Smith, former Texans general manager: Interviewed
Washington Football Team
- Ryan Cowden, Titans VP of player personnel: Interview requested
- Marty Hurney, former Panthers general manager: Expected to be hired; joined team in non-GM role
- Martin Mayhew, former Lions general manager: Hired
- Nick Polk, Falcons football operations director: Interview requested
- Rick Smith, former Texans general manager: Mentioned as candidate
- JoJo Wooden, Chargers player personnel director: Interview expected
Panthers Conduct Five GM Interviews
The Panthers’ GM interview list is up to 11. Executives from four teams interviewed for the position over the past two days, with two Chiefs staffers being summoned for meetings.
Chiefs football administration director Brandt Tilis and assistant player personnel director Ryan Poles interviewed for the vacant Panthers post, joining Bears assistant player personnel director Champ Kelly, Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds and 49ers VP of player personnel Adam Peters.
Kelly has popped up in the Broncos’ search as well. The Broncos requested an interview with their former staffer, who has been with the Bears since 2015. He has served in his current role for the past two years, previously operating as Chicago’s pro scouting director. Kelly interviewed for the Jets GM job in 2019.
With the Chiefs since 2010, Tilis has been a key cog in Chiefs contract matters. Considering the offseason the defending Super Bowl champions had on this front — extending Patrick Mahomes, Chris Jones and Travis Kelce — and the franchise’s success in recent years, it makes sense a team is interested in Tilis. Poles, 35, has worked in his current position since May 2018. The Chiefs have seen multiple staffers — Chris Ballard and Brett Veach — move into GM roles in recent years, and Poles has been on GM radars for a bit now. The Panthers also have Chiefs player personnel director Mike Borgonzi on their radar.
Peters and Dodds have been with their respective teams for four years, each relocating in 2017 to join Ballard and John Lynch‘s respective staffs. Dodds has been in the GM mix for a bit now, most recently turning down a Browns interview request. For Peters, this is his first go-round of GM interviews. Peters and Matt Rhule have an interesting connection. During Rhule’s 2001 stopover at UCLA as the Bruins’ defensive line coach, Peters was on the roster as a defensive end.
Here are the rest the Panthers’ candidates thus far:
- Nick Caserio, Patriots VP of player personnel: Interviewed; hired as Texans GM
- Jeff Ireland, Saints assistant GM: Interviewed
- Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Browns VP of football operations: Interviewed
- Monti Ossenfort, Titans player personnel director: Interviewed
- George Paton, Vikings assistant GM: Rumored candidate
- Jerry Reese, former Giants general manager: Interviewed
- Joe Schoen, Bills assistant GM: Interviewed
