The Minnesota Vikings’ search for a permanent general manager is firmly underway, and according to SI.com‘s Albert Breer, the interim boss, Rob Brzezinski, is in a good spot, almost no matter what.

Minnesota’s search may end with continuity, a reshuffled power structure, or an outside hire.

Breer provided details on the search this week, insinuating that Brzezinski will either earn the official title or grab a different, powerful role.

Brzezinski Remains the Central Figure in Minnesota’s Search

Get used to Brzezinski sticking around the Vikings.

Breer on the Vikings’ GM Search

In his weekly mailbag, Breer responded to a Vikings fan’s question regarding why the GM search is shrouded in such secrecy.

Breer opined, “I’m not really sure there’s much mystery. They can go one of two ways, in my opinion. One path would be to permanently elevate longtime football-operations chief Rob Brzezinski to GM after he spent the past three months serving as interim GM.”

“The other would be to keep Brzezinski in a role like the one Mike Disner serves with the Lions or the one Tony Pastoors has (and Kevin Demoff used to fill) with the Rams, as a sort of head-of-everything-but-personnel role alongside a scouting-focused general manager, which could be someone such as Bills assistant GM Terrance Gray.”

The Vikings’ owners stated last week that the pursuit of candidates would remain private — and then NFL insiders have tweeted their names one by one in the last couple of days. It’s not that secretive at all.

Breer continued, “If they take the latter path, Gray, who cut his scouting teeth with the Vikings before Buffalo GM Brandon Beane poached him in 2017, would be at or near the top of the list.”

“And I do think the Vikings and the search firm they’re working with have a short list they’re plucking from at this point, with perhaps a second list backing that one up.”

Per Breer, Brzezinski will land on his feet within the Vikings’ power structure no matter what.

Terrance Gray Formally in the Mix

To start the non-Brzezinski party, NFL Network‘s Tom Pelissero tweeted Wednesday, “The Vikings have requested an interview with Bills assistant general manager Terrance Gray for their GM job, per source. Gray spent 11 seasons with Minnesota as a college scout before joining Buffalo in 2017.”

Gray has served as the Bills’ Director of Player Personnel since 2022 and has worked with that organization for seven years. Before that, he was a Vikings scout for 11 years.

Our Janik Eckardt on Gray: “From the outside, it’s always tough to classify GM candidates. It’s easier to evaluate coaching prospects because their product can be seen directly on Sundays. A defensive coordinator’s scheme is visible, but who knows what the assistant GM is actually doing in Buffalo?”

“Therefore, it’s hard to tell if Gray would be a good or a bad choice. The Bills have been contenders for years, driven by quarterback Josh Allen, of course. The roster around the future Hall of Famer has been up-and-down. There’s also a Rooney Rule angle to remember.”

The Rest of the Big List

In addition to Brzezinski and Gray, the list of possible Vikings general managers ballooned on Thursday. With the expectation that a few extras could be added, here’s the rest of the list:

• Chad Alexander (Assistant GM | Chargers)
• RJ Gillen (Assistant GM | 49ers)
• John McKay (Assistant GM | Rams)
• Nolan Teasley (Assistant GM | Seahawks)
• Dave Ziegler (Assistant GM | Titans)

Aside from Brzezinski’s incumbency, there is no odds-on frontrunner. This thing is truly up in the air. Pick your fighter.

NBC Sports‘ Myles Simmons highlighted McKay as a candidate, “McKay, in particular, could be one to watch for the position, as he worked alongside Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell with the Rams. McKay was Los Angeles’ director of pro personnel and O’Connell was the team’s offensive coordinator when the club won Super Bowl LVI to cap the 2021 season.”

Threading the Needle Feels Vikings-Like

While Brzezinski could stay in the director’s chair as the general manager, keeping him in a position of ample power — no matter what — feels like the Vikings’ modus operandi.

After all, during the beginning of the Rick Spielman era twenty years ago, he, the Wilfs, and the head coach at the time, Brad Childress, and later Leslie Frazier, formed a “triangle of authority.” Each party had significant input on the roster and on the future vision.

Promoting Brzezinski to the full-time general manager would mean keeping head coach Kevin O’Connell in a powerful role. O’Connell’s prestige within the organization, in theory, spiked when he kept his job while Kwesi Adofo-Mensah lost his.

There wouldn’t be much surprise if the team opts to give Brzezinski a sweet title and more power, with the new general manager holding a more unconventional role by broader NFL standards.

The Wilfs should announce their verdict in the next two weeks.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker