The Minnesota Vikings are seeking to interview RJ Gillen, the assistant GM of the San Francisco 49ers, for their vacant general manager position. This move follows the dismissal of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and indicates the Vikings' interest in adopting the 49ers' successful management approach.
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Vikings Target 49ersâ RJ Gillen for General Manager Role
The Minnesota Vikings are officially looking toward the Bay Area to fill their leadership void. According to ESPNâs Adam Schefter, the Vikings have requested permission to interview San Francisco 49ers assistant general manager RJ Gillen for their vacant GM position.
The move comes at a unique time for Minnesota, which just navigated the 2026 NFL Draft without a permanent general manager. Following the January dismissal of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who ironically rejoined the 49ersâ front office in late February, the Vikings leaned on executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski to lead their draft room. While Brzezinski remains a candidate to keep the job permanently, the request for Gillen signals that Minnesota is eager to study the "San Francisco way."
Gillen isnât just a rising star; he is a veteran of the 49ersâ scouting evolution. Having joined the organization in 2015, he has spent over a decade climbing a ladder that has seen several of his predecessors land top jobs across the league.
His resume is a masterclass in internal progression:
This deep rooted experience in one of the NFLâs most consistent blueprints, it makes Gillen an ideal candidate for a Vikings team looking to stabilize its roster construction.
The Vikings are interested in RJ Gillen to fill their vacant general manager role, hoping to adopt the successful strategies of the San Francisco 49ers.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was dismissed in January and has since rejoined the 49ers' front office.
Rob Brzezinski, the executive vice president of football operations, is currently leading the Vikings' draft operations.
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The 49ers have become the gold standard for front office development. In a league that prizes continuity and successful drafting, John Lynchâs staff has been poached relentlessly which is really just a testament to the franchise's success this decade.
Gillen is the latest in a long line of executives to draw major interest. He follows in the footsteps of Martin Mayhew, Ran Carthon, and Adam Peters, all of whom left San Francisco to take the reins as GMs for other franchises. Even Adofo-Mensahâs journey, who moved from San Francisco to Cleveland, then Minnesota, before returning to the Niners as a senior personnel executive this spring, highlights the circular nature of this elite executive circle.
Minnesota isn't the first team to notice Gillenâs impact. At the end of the 2025 regular season, the Miami Dolphins reportedly requested interviews with a trio of 49ers executives: Gillen, Josh Williams, and Tariq Ahmad.
For the Vikings, the search represents a potential pivot in philosophy. After the "analytics-first" approach of the previous regime, targeting a scout heavy resume like Gillenâs suggests a desire to return to traditional scouting roots paired with the modern strategic planning San Francisco is known for. As the Vikings begin their formal interview process this month, they are looking to bring a piece of the 49ers' winning culture to the NFC North.