The Minnesota Vikings GM search is heating up — and The Real Forno Show has the full breakdown. Host Tyler Forness, beat writer and NFL draft guru, sits down with coaching and GM candidate expert A.J. Schulte to rank all seven candidates vying to be Minnesota’s next general manager. From the lone internal candidate Rob Brzezinski to dark horse Nolan Teasley and frontrunner Chad Alexander, this episode of the Vikings 1st & SKOL production — delivers the most detailed, scout-level analysis of the Vikings front office
search you’ll find anywhere.
Forness and Schulte divide the field into clear tiers. On the long-shot side, they examine Tennessee Titans assistant GM Dave Ziegler — a former Raiders GM whose tenure was too tangled with Josh McDaniels to inspire confidence — along with 49ers assistant GM R.J. Gillen and Seahawks assistant GM Nolan Teasley. On Gillen, Schulte noted: “He does a lot of their free agency boards, like the market value of guys… he works with a lot of their data management… and I’m pretty confident he was a huge factor in the Christian McCaffrey trade.” Teasley drew praise too: “You just don’t really have guys that go from an intern to assistant general manager in basically a decade. It just doesn’t happen.” The real energy, though, is reserved for the top three.
When it comes to who should actually run the Minnesota Vikings, both Forness and Schulte land on the same name. “I think it’s Chad Alexander,” Schulte said without hesitation. “The very first thing he talks about is trust — and building that relationship. That’s how you build trust in the building.” Alexander, currently assistant GM for the Los Angeles Chargers, brings a pedigree built under Ozzie Newsome in Baltimore, key involvement in the 2022 Jets draft class featuring Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson, and a reputation as a straight shooter who earns loyalty from scouts. Schulte added: “Chad Alexander is loved because he is a straight shooter… scouts live in fear of getting something wrong — Alexander’s not that kind of guy.”
Key Takeaways from This Episode:
- Rob Brzezinski (Internal) — Described as a “low risk, safe hire without a lot of upside.” His existing relationship with Kevin O’Connell is a genuine plus, but questions remain about whether he’s ready to lead a franchise.
- Dave Ziegler (Titans) — His Raiders tenure was too tied to Josh McDaniels to evaluate fairly. Schulte called him “a risk that is completely unnecessary.”
- Nolan Teasley (Seahawks) — A widely respected pro scout who was central to the Russell Wilson trade and Seattle’s recent draft turnaround. May be “a year too soon,” but worth a serious look.
- R.J. Gillen (49ers) — Unique background spanning the NBA, law, and NFL front offices. A multi-role contributor in San Francisco’s winning culture.
- John McKay (Rams) — Has a pre-existing relationship with O’Connell from their time together in LA. Schulte praised his organizational ability: “He’s going to come in and lead the committees — develop the vision, build this from the ground up.”
- Terrance Gray (Bills) — Eleven years with the Vikings organization before Brandon Beane poached him. Widely respected evaluator who has won the league’s internal Bart Award for best draft multiple times.
- Chad Alexander (Chargers) — The consensus top choice. Schulte’s pick #1, Forness’s pick #1. Culture-first leader who learned from Ozzie Newsome and builds trust from day one.
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The Minnesota Vikings are at a franchise-defining crossroads, and The Real Forno Show — a Vikings 1st & SKOL production — is your most informed guide through every twist and turn. Tyler Forness and his guests don’t just cover the news; they break down the why behind every decision with the kind of depth that separates real analysis from hot takes. Subscribe, hit the notification bell, and follow AJ Schulte at @AJSchulteFB on Twitter for continued coverage as this search unfolds.
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Our guest is AJ Schulte @AJSchulteFB. Tyler Forness @TheRealForno of Vikings 1st & SKOL @Vikings1stSKOL and A to Z Sports @AtoZSportsNFL, with Dave Stefano @Luft_Krigare producing this Vikings 1st & SKOL production, the @RealFornoShow. Podcasts partnered with Fans First Sports Network @FansFirstSN.
Now we want to hear from you:
Which Vikings GM candidate do you think gives Minnesota the best shot at a Super Bowl — and does culture or scouting ability matter more when making the hire?
