Former Vikings GM Lands New Gig
Josh Frey
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Following a 2021 season in which the Minnesota Vikings went 8-9 and missed the playoffs, the team fired both head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman.
Since then, there have been whispers of both getting back into the NFL, and Zimmer recently discussed his coaching future in the NFL with Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. However, he is not the first of the duo to get back into the league. Instead, it is the former Vikings GM, Spielman, to get a new gig on Monday. He has agreed to join the Washington Commanders to assist in their search for a new head coach.
Former Vikings GM Lands New Gig
The news was reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN, who tweeted on Monday morning, “ESPN Reporting with [Adrian Wojnarowski]: In a sweeping overhaul, Commanders owner Josh Harris has hired two prominent executives – former Warriors GM Bob Myers and former Vikings GM Rick Spielman – to assist his group in searches for a new head of football operations and coach.”
This news comes shortly after Washington made the first move of Black Monday by firing head coach Ron Rivera. The Commanders struggled during the 2023 season and went 4-13 on their way to landing the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The assumption is that the team will select a quarterback with that selection after the team benched Sam Howell down the stretch of the season in favor of veteran Jacoby Brissett. Simply put, there are exciting times ahead for the Commanders this spring, and Spielman will be a part of that.
Spielman spent 16 seasons with the Vikings from 2006-2021, and while he served as a de facto general manager from 2006-2011, he officially took over the GM job in 2012. Under his roster construction, the Vikings went 132-123-2 during regular season games and made the playoffs six times, including a pair of NFC Championship appearances in 2009 and 2017.
The former Vikings GM is responsible for a number of notable players on the Vikings roster, including the signing of QB Kirk Cousins and draft selections of WR Justin Jefferson in 2020 and LT Christian Darrisaw in 2021.
Joining him in Washington is Bob Myers. This is an interesting choice considering Myers has primarily been known for his prowess as an executive in the NBA.
Myers was hired as an assistant general manager by Golden State back in 2011 and was promoted to the general manager position in April 2012 where he remained until the conclusion of the 2023 season.
During his time in Golden State, Myers helped the Warriors win four NBA Finals, and he pulled off the blockbuster signing of Kevin Durant following their historic 73-9 season in 2016. The signing helped them win back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018 and appear in a third consecutive NBA Finals in 2019.
This is an interesting pairing of two minds who have had a lot of success in different sports. We shall see how it works out for the Commanders.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.