While there isn’t as much turnover among NFL general managers as there is among head coaches, change does occur at the top of front office hierarchies. Over the past two offseasons, 12 GM jobs opened up.
This year, the Tennessee Titans have a vacancy after firing Jon Robinson, while the Arizona Cardinals are expected to part ways with Steve Keim. Let’s run through the top NFL GM candidates in 2023 and assess which executives could land new roles this year.
Top NFL GM Candidates 2023
Evaluating NFL GM candidates is a much more difficult exercise than sorting through potential head coaching candidates. NFL coordinators produce results via their units’ performance, but much of what personnel executives accomplish is completed mainly behind the scenes.
Still, general manager candidates with experience with teams that regularly make the postseason and manage excellent free agent signings and draft classes will be at the top of the list for teams with GM openings.
Mike Borgonzi, Assistant General Manager, Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs have been one of the NFL’s most successful franchises over the past decade, so it’s no surprise that former Kansas City executives such as Chris Ballard and Ryan Poles have landed GM gigs. Mike Borgonzi, promoted to assistant general manager in 2021 after spending three seasons as the Chiefs’ director of football operations, could be the next KC staff member to find a top job.
Borgonzi was in the running to replace fired Chiefs GM John Dorsey in 2017, but the role ultimately went to Brett Veach, who was sharing KC’s co-director of player personnel role with Borgonzi. While he’s never officially interviewed for a GM position, Borgonzi is mentioned as a hot candidate during every hiring cycle.
Morocco Brown, Chief Personnel Executive, Indianapolis Colts
The Colts valued Morocco Brown’s input so highly that they promoted him from director of college scouting to chief personnel executive in the summer of 2022. Brown interviewed for GM jobs in Pittsburgh and Atlanta over the past two years and also drew interest from Philadelphia as they aimed to fill an assistant GM role last season.
Brown’s work resulted in Indianapolis drafting stars like Quenton Nelson, Shaquille Leonard, and Jonathan Taylor. Still, it’s fair to wonder if the Colts’ recent downturn will hinder Brown’s chances at a GM job.
Ran Carthon, Director of Player Personnel, San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers are among the best teams in the NFL despite being forced to turn to their third-string quarterback. San Francisco has plenty of stars, but they’ve also built ample depth, and Ran Carthon is a critical part of that effort. Carthon, 41, joined the 49ers’ front office in 2017 after spending time with the Rams and Falcons.
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Last year, Carthon earned the first general manager interviews of his career as he met with the Bears, Giants, and Steelers. The son of long-time NFL offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon, Ran could land a GM job in 2023, especially if the 49ers make a deep playoff run.
Glenn Cook, Assistant General Manager, Cleveland Browns
The Browns lost one of their key decision-makers last offseason when Kwesi Adofo-Mensah left to become the Vikings’ general manager. Cleveland might be without another pivotal front office member if Glenn Cook secures a GM role this offseason.
Cook interviewed with the Bears and Vikings last year but lost out on those jobs to Poles and Adofo-Mensah, respectively. Browns general manager Andrew Berry said last season that he expects Cook, who has worked in Cleveland since 2016, to grab a GM job in the near future.
Thomas Dimitroff, Former General Manager, Atlanta Falcons
Thomas Dimitroff has been out of the league since the Falcons fired him in October 2020, but he’s remained active in NFL affairs. He currently serves as CEO of SumerSports, an NFL analytics company.
Unlike most of the candidates on this list, Dimitroff has experience running an NFL front office. Atlanta went to the playoffs six times in 13 seasons under Dimitroff’s leadership, and they nearly won Super Bowl 51 before blowing a 25-point lead to the Patriots.
The Falcons’ roster was in shambles by the time Dimitroff was let go, but his track record is largely solid.
Ed Dodds, Assistant General Manager, Indianapolis Colts
Like his colleague Brown, Ed Dodds could be hampered by the Colts’ struggles in 2022. But Dodds’ track record isn’t limited to Indy — he was also a crucial member of the Seahawks’ front office from 2007-16, where he helped build a Super Bowl-winning roster.
Dodds has garnered plenty of GM interest over the past two years. In 2021, he interviewed with the Lions and Panthers. Last offseason, Dodds met with the Bears, Raiders, and Steelers. With so many teams interested in picking Dodds’ brain, it stands to reason that he’ll be hired as a general manager soon.
Alec Halaby, Assistant General Manager, Philadelphia Eagles
Most NFL general managers rose through the scouting ranks, but that archetype could be changing. Last year, Adofo-Mensah became the first NFL GM with primary experience in analytics/data instead of scouting. If teams are searching for the next Adofo-Mensah and are willing to make an outside-the-box hire, the Eagles’ Alec Halaby could garner consideration.
Halaby is primarily responsible for Philadelphia’s analytics department, and he’s worked alongside Howie Roseman as they rebuilt the Eagles’ roster. He spent six seasons as Philadelphia’s vice president of football operations and strategy before earning a promotion to assistant GM last year.
Jeff Ireland, Assistant General Manager, New Orleans Saints
Jeff Ireland’s run as the Dolphins’ general manager from 2008-14 was mostly unsuccessful, but he’s rebuilt his reputation as an evaluator for the Saints in 2015. Ireland’s 2017 draft class — which included Marshon Lattimore, Ryan Ramcyzk, Marcus Williams, Alvin Kamara, and Trey Hendrickson — remains the stuff of legends.
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New Orleans’ horrendous salary cap management and draft pick trades have put the organization in a perilous position, but it’s unclear how involved Ireland is in those machinations. Purely as a scout, Ireland is among the NFL’s best.
Champ Kelly, Assistant General Manager, Las Vegas Raiders
Champ Kelly, who’s worked in NFL front offices since 2007, has been at the forefront of general manager searches over the past two offseasons, but he’s yet to land a GM position. He interviewed with the Panthers and Broncos in 2021 and the Bears and Raiders in 2022.
While Kelly wasn’t hired as Las Vegas’ general manager, the Raiders did bring him in as an assistant GM under Dave Ziegler. Kelly, Ziegler, and Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels all worked together on the Broncos’ staff from 2009-10.
Adam Peters, Assistant General Manager, San Francisco 49ers
Like Carthon, Peters has been an essential component of the 49ers’ front office. When San Francisco hired him away from the Broncos in 2017, the move was viewed as a coup. Peters has served as a right-hand man to 49ers GM John Lynch, who had never worked in a front office before joining San Francisco.
Peters interviewed with the Panthers in 2021 and the Giants in 2022 but didn’t land either position. Given the 49ers’ continued success, Peters figures to earn more interviews during this cycle, and this could be the year he grabs a GM job.
John Spytek, Vice President of Player Personnel, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It wasn’t just Tom Brady’s presence that allowed the Buccaneers to win Super Bowl 55. Tampa Bay also hit on draft picks and built a deep roster that included both stars and depth pieces. John Spytek, GM Jason Licht’s right-hand man, has played a prominent role in rebuilding the Bucs’ roster.
As Tampa Bay’s vice president of player personnel, Spytek oversees the club’s college and pro scouting departments. He helped the Buccaneers bring back all 22 of their Super Bowl starters in 2021 and last year worked on extensions for Chris Godwin, Ryan Jensen, and Carlton Davis.
Eliot Wolf, Director of Scouting, New England Patriots
Although he was always viewed as the eventual replacement for Packers general manager Ted Thompson, Eliot Wolf was passed over for that role in 2018 as Green Bay went with Brian Gutekunst. After missing out on that job, Wolf worked as the Browns’ assistant GM for two years before joining the Patriots in 2020.
Most observers thought Wolf would replace Ziegler as New England’s director of player personnel, but that job went to Matt Groh. Bill Belichick may have promoted Groh, who has far less experience than Wolf, because of fears Wolf could leave for a general manager job. Wolf was subsequently named New England’s director of college scouting in 2022.