George

Paton

Paton has rebounded nicely from the disastrous 2022 Russell Wilson deal and has become one of the more coveted GMs in the league. There was some speculation that Paton could be open to a lateral move to the Vikings to replace former GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, but Paton won’t be going anywhere for the foreseeable future. Now under contract through the 2030 season, Paton, who helped get the Broncos within one game of the Super Bowl last season, will look to continue building a roster among the most formidable in the league. In addition to boasting a top-five defense, the Broncos also have quarterback Bo Nix on a rookie deal for at least two more seasons, and an assortment of offensive weapons that helped the offense finish 14th in scoring in 2025.

Vikings owner Mark Wilf, who spoke at the Owner’s Meetings this week, “spoke in decidedly neutral terms when asked about Brzezinski’s future” per Seifert. It appears the Vikings will not get the easy solution here and instead will have to actually work to find a new general manager after the draft.

Paton would presumably require compensation to acquire. And while he has done an admirable job rebounding from it over the past few years with Sean Payton, our first taste of Paton is always going to be the disastrous Russell Wilson trade. However, as the long-time lieutenant to Rick Spielman in Minnesota, it is not surprising that the Vikings would have some interest in bringing Paton back. This will probably be one to watch after the draft.

In a Tuesday presser, Paton called the Broncos’ Christmas Day meltdown against the Rams “unacceptable” and “embarrassing.” Russell Wilson and the offense continued to struggle and players fought on the sideline yet again. The team was left with no choice but to fire head coach Nathaniel Hackett and replace him with the guy who does clock management on game days. Paton said the next Broncos head coach -- if the team can find someone who will take the job -- will not report to the GM, but to ownership. It’s a disastrous chain of command that will likely ensure the Broncos are among the league’s worst teams for the foreseeable future. There’s no guarantee Paton, who signed off on the worst trade in NFL history -- bringing Wilson to Denver -- will make it to 2023. His Tuesday press conference, during which he asked for patience from Denver fans, implied as much.

After parting ways with head coach Nathaniel Hackett on Monday, Penner released a statement saying, “I will lead our head coaching search with support from our ownership group and George [Paton], who I have confidence in as our general manager.” Paton’s brief tenure as the Broncos’ general manager has gotten off to a rocky start, with the team going 11-21 in his first two seasons with the team. The Broncos hired and fired Hackett in the same calendar year, dismissing him with two weeks to go in the season, and are hoping for a rebound in 2023 from quarterback Russell Wilson, who famously signed a $245 million contract after the team traded multiple first round picks to acquire him from the Seahawks earlier this offseason.

Paton added that he will be leaving no stone unturned in the team’s search for a quarterback. The Broncos have a core of young receivers and a defense that can severely limit opposing offenses. All they need is a quarterback to unlock the full potential of their roster. Denver traded for Teddy Bridgewater ahead of the 2021 season but the team fell short of the playoffs. Bridgewater gave the team middling play through 14 weeks before a concussion knocked him out for the remainder of the season. With the Broncos bringing in Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett to be their head coach, Aaron Rodgers will be the first name on their list. If they can’t lure him away from Green Bay, the Broncos will be a team to watch in the trade market and during the draft. They hold the ninth overall pick plus a handful of extra selections in the middle and late rounds.

We will try not to overstate this — it isn’t exactly uncommon for GMs to be speaking this time of year — but Paton’s admission comes amidst reports the Dolphins would like to trade back down from No. 6, while it would make sense for the quarterback-needy Broncos to move up from No. 9. Paton and Grier also worked together for six years in Miami, so they have a longtime relationship. This is one trade with a real chance of happening between now and next Thursday’s first round.

Paton gets a six-year deal to replace John Elway, who was moved to president of football operations this offseason. The Broncos are the first team to lure Paton from Minnesota, where he’s been one of the top personnel men the last 14 seasons. Paton had six playoff appearances and made two NFC Championship games during that span. He also played a role in drafting players like Dalvin Cook, Harrison Smith, and Anthony Barr. Paton will be tasked with finding a franchise quarterback in Denver after Drew Lock took a step back in his second season.

An annual general manager candidate, Paton -- who has been with the Vikings for 14 seasons -- will meet with Broncos officials to discuss the team’s GM opening. Paton recently withdrew his name from Carolina’s general manager search and has drawn interested from the Lions this month. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said there’s “a belief this is the year Paton takes a GM job.”

Paton has apparently already spoken with the Panthers and “withdrawn from the search.” An annual general manager candidate, Paton seemed close to landing the Browns’ job last season before withdrawing from that search, as well. Paton has now been with the Vikings for over 14 years.