After three years as an analyst and writer, former Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman is officially back in the NFL.
Rick Spielman Has a New Job
He’ll serve as a senior advisor in the New York Jets’ front office.
The 33rd Team‘s Ari Meirov tweeted Thursday, “The Jets are hiring former Vikings GM Rick Spielman as a senior advisor in their front office. Spielman was part of the The 33rd Team search committee that helped find HC Aaron Glenn and GM Darren Mougey — and now he’s joining the organization as well.”
Spielman basically suggested who the Jets should hire as a general manager and then stuck around himself. Quite the arrangement.
The long-time executive hasn’t worked for an NFL team since the Vikings cut ties in early 2022. He did, however, assist the Washington Commanders in their 2024 general manager and head coach search, which has netted immediate dividends — to the tune of an NFC Championship appearance. Perhaps Spielman can carry the streak into the AFC East.
The Vikings hired Spielman in 2006, and he remained in Minnesota until the end of the 2021 season. Along with head coach Mike Zimmer, Spielman was fired in January 2022, paving the way for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell to take over and produce a 34-17 (.666) record to date, the sixth-best in the league.
Zimmer and Spielman paired in Minnesota for eight seasons, leading the Vikings to the NFL’s 10th-best record during the timeframe. The product was more successful in the first six seasons, however, and culminated with a 2017 NFC Championship appearance. From 2020 on, the Vikings succumbed to playoff-less mediocre seasons, causing the move by ownership to hire new leadership.
All told, Spielman oversaw three coaches in Minnesota: Brad Childress, Leslie Frazier, and Zimmer. Minnesota reached two conference title games (2009, 2017) during his tenure.
In March of 2022, Spielman reportedly threw his hat in the ring to contend for the Pittsburgh Steelers open general manager job, but Pittsburgh ultimately hired Omar R. Khan.
Spielman and the Jets will have an immediate decision to make at quarterback as Aaron Rodgers is still under contract, and it’s unclear if the new general manager, the aforementioned Mougey, and head coach Aaron Glenn will want the 41-year-old attached to the 2025 roster. If not, well, the Jets will need a quarterback foremost this offseason.
The ex-Vikings boss made Vikings-themed headlines last month when he made it sound like a no-brainer to retain Sam Darnold while letting rookie passer J.J. McCarthy marinate on the bench.
“If I was Minnesota, why wouldn’t you keep Sam Darnold?” Spielman asked on CBS Sports airwaves in January.
Spielman then referenced the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback development tendencies: “Look at what Green Bay did … with Jordan Love. Look at what Green Bay did with Aaron Rodgers behind Brett Favre. Patrick Mahomes sat behind Alex Smith. So, if I sit him for two years, why not?”
The Jets haven’t reached the postseason since 2010.
Spielman is 62.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.