Latest news surrounding the Minnesota Vikings sends a potentially tough signal about their general manager search
The timing on the calendar isn’t great for the Minnesota Vikings and their general manager search could get complicated.
Initially, when the Minnesota Vikings decided to wait to hire their next general manager after the NFL Draft, I was a big proponent of the process, because it would allow the NFL Draft process to continue with just the personnel in the building. One of the biggest issues of the 2022 NFL Draft was Kwesi Adofo-Mensah taking over a process that began with Rick Spielman months before.
It made sense to keep things cohesive from that perspective, as things can get complicated by asking a new voice to lead a process he hasn’t been involved with. Even so, it created issues for the Vikings trying to get their next general manager.
Minnesota Vikings general manager hire may take longer than expected
Waiting until after the draft to hire their general manager is an interesting strategy for the Vikings. They get the entire candidate pool to themselves, which is a huge benefit. However, the NFL calendar is complicating things, as Minneapolis is likely to be awarded the NFL Draft, along with the NFL Owners Meetings this week. That will create some timing issues for the Vikings, something that Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer pointed out.
The trouble is this is a bit of a busy week for the franchise. The expectation is that the Twin Cities will be awarded the 2028 draft at the meetings, so a big contingent, including ownership, will be in Orlando for that. And with a holiday weekend coming up, there’s a good chance in-person interviews with finalists for the job won’t happen until next week.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer
Without competition for candidates out there—the Vikings are the only team looking for a GM—Minnesota can afford to be patient. That said, there’s also an acknowledgment there that it’d be good to get the new GM in soon so he can get started with O’Connell before the summer break commences in mid-June.
They already saw Chad Alexander choose to decline an interview with the Vikings, but they have interviewed the other eight external candidates virtually. The timing isn’t great for the Vikings, and the longer they wait, the more difficult it will be to get on the same page with Kevin O’Connell.
Now, is this a disastrous element for the Vikings? Not necessarily, but it’s not a great one either. The most important thing is that the Vikings get the hire right, no matter how long it takes.
