05/30/26 03:19:00
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05/30 15:17 CDT Vikings hire Seahawks assistant Nolan Teasley as their general
manager, AP source says
Vikings hire Seahawks assistant Nolan Teasley as their general manager, AP
source says
By DAVE CAMPBELL
AP Pro Football Writer
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) --- The Minnesota Vikings agreed to terms Saturday on a
contract with Seattle Seahawks assistant Nolan Teasley to be their general
manager, a person with direct knowledge of the decision told The Associated
Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal had not
yet been finalized with Teasley, who has spent his entire 13-year NFL career
with Seattle. During that span, the Seahawks made the playoffs nine times,
reached three Super Bowls, and won two of them including the most recent one in
February.
Teasley was promoted in 2023 to assistant GM by president of football
operations and general manager John Schneider, who was the architect of both of
those championship teams. After the Vikings decided not to re-sign quarterback
Sam Darnold last year, he joined the Seahawks and helped them become champions.
Teasley will replace Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who was fired in January after four
years in the role. Adofo-Mensah was an outside-of-the-box hire, bringing
economics degrees and Wall Street experience to the world of pro football.
Vikings owners Mark Wilf and Zygi Wilf were first seeking more of a
collaborator with this hire, a leader who could better bridge between the
personnel department and the coaching staff, but all of their external
candidates had traditional scouting backgrounds.
Watching Darnold lead the Seahawks to the Super Bowl, after he won 14 games in
2024 in his lone season with the Vikings, also undoubtedly played some part for
the Wilf family in the dismissal of Adofo-Mensah.
Teasley was among five finalists who met in person this week with Vikings
leadership during the second round of interviews, beating out current Vikings
executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski, Denver Broncos
assistant general manager Reed Burckhardt, Buffalo Bills assistant general
manager Terrance Gray, and Los Angeles Rams assistant general manager John
McKay.
Brzezinski, who directed the draft last month while serving as interim general
manager, has been with the Vikings since 1999 and rose to the top through his
expertise in salary cap management and player contract negotiation. Brzezinski,
who is widely respected in the organization and throughout the league, will
remain in his role alongside Teasley and coach Kevin O'Connell, a trio the
Wilfs will entrust to bring the Vikings their first championship.
Teasley was the only finalist without ties to the Vikings. Burckhardt and Gray
both previously worked as scouts for the Vikings. O'Connell previously worked
for the Rams. Gray, McKay and Teasley took part in the NFL's accelerator
program that was revamped with a rollout at the league meetings earlier this
month.
Teasley is a Washington native who graduated from Central Washington University
in 2007 with a degree in public relations, working in marketing before making
the jump to the NFL and joining the Seahawks as an intern in the scouting
department in 2013. He became director of pro personnel in 2018.
Adofo-Mensah and Ryan Poles were the only two finalists who had in-person
interviews for the vacancy in 2022 after the firing of Rick Spielman. Poles was
hired by the Chicago Bears instead and remains in that job for the defending
NFC North champions.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
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