The Chicago Bears have identified at least three general manager finalists to replace Ryan Pace. One of those three is New England Patriots senior consultant Eliot Wolf, who will interview for the opening for a second time in the coming days, per NFL Network.
The #Bears are interested in speaking again with at least 3 GM candidates. Per me and @MikeGarafolo, Ryan Poles of the #Chiefs, Monti Ossenfort of the #Titans, and Eliot Wolf of the #Patriots are expected for second interviews. Morocco Brown of the #Colts could return, as well.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 25, 2022
Get to know NFL general manager candidate Eliot Wolf
Wolf, 39, is the son of former Green Bay Packers general manager Ron Wolf. But Eliot has made a name for himself independent of his father, and teams have taken notice. Along with being a finalist for the Bears’ job, he is also a candidate for the Vikings’ general manager opening.
Wolf’s football background
As we’ve mentioned, football scouting is in Eliot Wolf’s blood. His father Ron is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame after a long and successful career in the Raiders’ personnel department and as the architect of the Packers’ 1996 Super Bowl championship team. Eliot Wolf was born when his dad was still with the Raiders, spending his early years in the Bay Area before they all made the move to Wisconsin in 1991.
By the time Wolf had graduated from the University of Miami, his dad was no longer running the Packers. But the family still had plenty of pull within the organization, and Eliot began a long stint with the team in 2004, first as a pro personnel assistant under Mike Sherman and then as one of Ted Thompson’s top lieutenants. Wolf would go on to direct the Packers’ pro personnel, player personnel, and football operations departments.
He was a candidate to replace Thompson, but the job ultimately went to Brian Gutekunst. That led to his departure from the team in 2018. He then joined John Dorsey and the Browns as Cleveland’s assistant GM before ultimately landing in Foxborough as Bill Belichick’s scouting consultant.
How Wolf performed in 2021
Good luck getting clarity from Belichick on how much of a say Wolf has had in the team’s personnel moves of the last two years. Nonetheless, it would be awfully coincidental if he had nothing to do with the organization’s dramatic change in philosophy.
For years, the Patriots believed spending in free agency was fool’s gold. Then, in 2021, they dropped nearly $160 million in free-agent guarantees. The Patriots had gone decades — decades! — without using a first-round pick on a quarterback. In 2021, they took Mac Jones 15th overall. Was all that causation or correlation? Who knows?
What they’re saying about Wolf
“You have to understand that I’m his father. But let me say one thing: He is his own man. I’m delighted he’s going to get this opportunity and I know there are a lot of people also in line to get it. Does he deserve the opportunity [to interview]? I certainly think so. He’s paid his dues. It’s interesting because he kind of grew up in that division.” — Ron Wolf on his son to the Chicago Sun-Times