Minnesota Vikings to hire Seahawks executive Nolan Teasley as general manager

The Minnesota Vikings are hiring Nolan Teasley as their general manager, sources said, concluding an interim stretch led by Rob Brzezinski. Teasley arrives from the Seattle Seahawks, where he rose to assistant general manager after beginning as an intern in 2013. He replaces Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, whom the Vikings fired Jan. 30. The move signals a shift back toward a scouting-led front office after recent years that leaned heavily on data analytics.

Team ownership, the Wilf family, sought a leader who would fit into the club’s existing scouting and coaching infrastructure rather than preside over a sweeping overhaul, according to people familiar with the process. Teasley was the only finalist among five candidates without a prior tie to the Vikings, a contrast the club viewed as complementary to its current structure. The search focused on continuity with head coach Kevin O’Connell’s staff and a collaborative approach to roster building.

Teasley spent 13 seasons with Seattle, most recently as assistant GM in 2023 after earlier roles in pro scouting and player personnel. His progression through the Seahawks’ scouting operation gives Minnesota a decision-maker with on-the-road evaluation experience and pro personnel expertise. That background differs from Adofo-Mensah, who came to the Vikings with a data analytics profile.

The Vikings kept the advisory circle for the hire relatively tight, leaning on O’Connell and chief operating officer Andrew Miller during interviews, sources said. Ownership family members also participated in parts of the process. Longtime cap executive Brzezinski, who served as interim GM following Adofo-Mensah’s dismissal, was a finalist as well.

Teasley’s background and mandate

Scouting credentials over analytics

Teasley’s rise from a 2013 intern to assistant GM in 2023 reflects a career built in pro personnel and scouting. In Minnesota, he will inherit a structure in which O’Connell and the coaching staff have held significant influence over personnel and draft decisions in recent seasons. The expectation is that Teasley’s scouting perspective will complement that model rather than replace it.

With a roster that has undergone turnover in the past two years, the Vikings are positioned to benefit from a GM who can marry pro scouting evaluations with value-driven cap management. Teasley’s task will include aligning the front office’s player grading processes with coaching priorities while maintaining a disciplined approach to contracts.

Cap management and roster outlook

Short-term savings, long-term flexibility

During the interim period, Brzezinski concentrated on stabilizing the balance sheet after heavy free agent spending in recent cycles. The Vikings spent roughly $100 million over the cap across the 2024 and 2025 offseasons combined, prompting pay adjustments, releases and trades to reduce commitments, according to team officials. The club is tracking toward about $100 million less in payroll in 2026 compared with 2025 under the current plan.

Minnesota also pursued lower-cost veteran additions to preserve flexibility. Most notably, quarterback Kyler Murray will cost the Vikings only $1.3 million this season, with most of his $36.7 million salary paid by the Arizona Cardinals. Those types of structures aim to keep Minnesota competitive while creating room for targeted investments under the new GM.

Teasley’s immediate priority will be assessing the current roster, practice-squad pipeline and pro scouting board ahead of the next wave of transactions. He will also finalize front-office responsibilities with Brzezinski and the existing personnel directors to maintain continuity through the remainder of the offseason.

The Vikings are expected to outline front-office roles and near-term roster priorities once Teasley formally begins, with attention on sustaining cap discipline and supporting O’Connell’s program.