Vikings GM Candidate Declines Job

Dec 24, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings fans react during the game against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports Ever since firing general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in January, the Minnesota Vikings have been without a true leader. Executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski has taken over, but the franchise is looking for a full-time solution. Though the search is conducted behind the scenes, the list of external candidates has been leaked. Among those was Chad Alexander, the assistant GM of the Los Angeles Chargers. He has withdrawn his name from consideration. Apr 17, 2025; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers assistant general manager Chad Alexander (right) talks with KCAL/KCBS sports director Jim Hill at a press conference at The Bolt. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Albert Breer of SI.com noted on social media, “Chargers assistant GM Chad Alexander respectfully declined the Vikings’ GM interview request, and withdrew his name from the search, per sources. Alexander’s comfortable in LA, and wanted to see the building of the 2026 team through.” Alexander is in his third year under Chargers GM Joe Hortiz. He worked for two decades with the Ravens and had a stint (2019-2023) with the New York Jets before reuniting with ex-Ravens executive Hortiz in Los Angeles. Like most candidates, Alexander has a scouting background, which seems to be a priority for Minnesota. Why Alexander declined is anyone’s guess. Tyler Forness of A to Z Sports commented, “Alexander telling the Vikings no raises a lot of questions, with the first being ‘why?’ Other than Alexander liking being in Los Angeles with the Chargers, what other reasons could there be? The simple answer is both complicated and worrisome: Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores have too much power. With how things went down with Adofo-Mensah’s firing and interim general manager Rob Brzezinski being involved, could it be a scenario where the power lies too heavily within those three?” Reports throughout the offseason (and common sense) suggest that the two coaches have a ton of power within the organization. Flores is the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the business and one of the most respected defensive minds. O’Connell has participated in GM interviews. Paired with the comments from ownership in recent months, the fans’ hot seat chatter can be retired. Apr 16, 2026; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers assistant general manager Chad Alexander speaks at a press conference at The Bolt. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Chris Roling, the Chargers reporter from SI.com, offered another theory for Alexander’s rejection: “From an outsider perspective, one can see why a possible general manager candidate doesn’t want to join the Vikings. Any franchise cutting a general manager loose at this stage of the offseason process mid-build doesn’t inspire confidence when it comes to stability. Letting go of anyone involved with the draft process, let alone a general manager, near the start of February, indeed sort of feels like a red flag.” The Vikings, indeed, fired Adofo-Mensah nearly a month later than the normal timeline. The first season reviews apparently didn’t reveal the need for changes, but ultimately, he was shown the door in late January. Whether that had any impact on the Alexander snub is, of course, speculation. Generally, the Vikings are a stable organization with little coaching or front-office turnover. Josh Alper of NBC Sports summarized the remaining GM shortlist for the Vikings, “In addition to internal candidate and acting GM Rob Brzezinski, the Vikings have also requested interviews with Lions assistant GM Ray Agnew, Broncos assistant GM Reed Burckhardt, Dolphins assistant GM Kyle Smith 49ers assistant GM RJ Gillen, Bills assistant GM Terrance Gray, Rams assistant GM John McKay, Seahawks assistant GM Nolan Teasely and Titans assistant GM Dave Ziegler.” A solution should arrive within the next month.