The Minnesota Vikings have had a quiet offseason. Their biggest headlines have revolved around signing Kyler Murray and firing Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. With no active GM in place, the Vikings are relying on Rob Brzezinski to step into a major role that he hasn’t had to truly think about since 2011, when they had the “Triangle of Authority.”
Since Rick Spielman took over the GM job full-time in 2012, Brzezinski has proven to be a cap maestro, a role the team has made a priority this offseason. With the draft right around the corner and no true timeline on the GM front, could this thinking ultimately hinder the team not only in 2026 but beyond?
With Brzezinski in the interim GM role, head coach Kevin O’Connell will take on a more direct role in the draft process.
If O’Connell wasn’t on the hot seat going into 2026 before they fired Adofo-Mensah, it has to have heated up in the aftermath. While his role in the draft process was already significant, there is nowhere else to place the blame if the Vikings aren’t talented enough to contend in 2026.
It’s logical to assume that when dividing up the GM roles, Brzezinski handles the financial side while KOC and Brian Flores evaluate talent. There is a chance this method works, but there are reservations. With a coach potentially on the hot seat, it’s not hard to imagine that this regime is now focused on saving jobs instead of the long-term future of the franchise.
While this system could work, there’s a point at which not having a GM may hurt this team in the long run.
The team may go through the draft process without a permanent GM in office, but fans can expect a speedy hiring process after the draft.
The biggest problem with running the front office this way is that KOC and the team should expect the next GM to question their decision-making processes about why they chose the players they did and any potential trades they made. The new GM will want to know about the situation he’s entering and who the coaches think they can play immediately.
With the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine having passed and the draft just a couple of weeks away, there is no going back on what they’ve already done. Granted, when the Vikings fired Adofo-Mensah, they said they would hire the GM after the draft. The expectation should be that whoever the front office goes with has seen these draft picks and has their own thoughts on each.
The question will soon be: So now what?
While the owners and other front-office personnel work diligently to find the next GM, Brzezinski, O’Connell, and Flores will work together to build a competitive team.
However, the dynamic changes once the Vikings hire the general manager. They will be looking for someone with a long-term vision, and general managers typically hire and fire coaches. What happens if the new GM’s vision doesn’t align with O’Connell and Flores’?
Whether the new GM is a KOC guy, a Flores guy, or someone completely different, fans can expect a more knowledgeable person behind the controls with more scouting and football experience than the former GM.
The new GM will bring in talent but also remove it. If the new GM thinks the Vikings would benefit from becoming more run-centric or chasing cheap deals, O’Connell must learn to adapt to how the GM wants the team to run.
The “Triangle of Authority” 2.0 is more of a “Line of Authority.” Because personnel decisions only run through O’Connell and Flores to the Wilfs.
The first iteration went 45-51 over six seasons. Hopefully, this version can find more success.
Everything starts now. The Vikings will be drafting for their future, then signing a GM to guide them into it. Ultimately, the front office may learn a valuable lesson. Postponing a GM search doesn’t help a team; it stalls a team’s success.