One consistent theme about the Green Bay Packers’ front office is that executives in the personnel department often get poached by other NFL teams. Since Ted Thompson took over as the Packers’ general manager and head of personnel in 2005, no fewer than five individuals who worked in the Green Bay front office have taken jobs with other teams that give them significant, if not complete control over personnel acquisitions.
John Dorsey, John Schneider, Reggie McKenzie, Alonzo Highsmith, and Eliot Wolf
all held general manager or roughly equivalent titles with teams around the NFL over the last 20 years. Two of those individuals remain in those roles currently: Schneider is the Seattle Seahawks’ GM while Wolf is the New England Patriots’ executive VP of player personnel (a de facto GM role). A sixth former Packers executive, Chad Brinker, is the President of Football Operations for the Tennessee Titans, a role that sits above the GM in that organization’s power structure.
The 2026 offseason may see that number grow. Jon-Eric Sullivan, the Packers’ current VP of player personnel, is once again on the radar of other NFL teams and he is getting another crack at interviewing for a general manager role. This opportunity is with the Miami Dolphins:
Sullivan had four different interviews for GM jobs last offseason, talking to the Jaguars, Jets, Titans, and Raiders. He is completing his fourth year in his current role, which he took over in 2022 after several years as co-director of player personnel with Jon Wojciechowski.
Given his numerous interviews last offseason, expect Sullivan to be in heavy demand again this offseason. He has a strong background in college scouting, having served as the team’s director in that area previously, and he frequently addresses the media during the NFL Draft to address the team’s selections. Meanwhile, Green Bay’s front office has become more active in pro scouting and acquisition in the last several years under current GM Brian Gutekunst, and Sullivan’s time as the head of the player personnel department illustrates his involvement in both avenues of player acquisition.
Sullivan will likely be interviewing for multiple GM openings again in the coming weeks, and it should come as no surprise if he ends up leaving Green Bay for the chance to lead a different team’s front office.
