Who is … Rob Brzezinski?
One of the longest-tenured members of Minnesota's executive staff.
A salary cap guru responsible for managing the finances of a football team that boasts the 10th-best winning percentage in the NFL since his 1999 hiring (.535), who has helped the Vikings secure extensions with the likes of generational talents Randy Moss, Adrian Peterson and Justin Jefferson during his tenure.
Brzezinski is a harbinger of stability. And as of last Friday, when the Wilf Family methodically decided to dismiss former General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, he is the club’s point man for the rest of the 2026 NFL Draft process. Translation: Brzezinski is maybe now the most important person in the organization.
Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star Tribune on Wednesday offered some insights into Brzezinski's near three-decade run with the Vikings — and he noted this spring will act as a trial run for the Executive Vice President of Football Operations to be in consideration for the permanent GM role, which the Wilfs did not rule out. (They will conduct an "open process" and name Adofo-Mensah's successor after the draft.)
Here's an excerpt from Goessling's article that illustrates the influence Brzezinski has wielded:
When Frank Gilliam retired as vice president of football operations in 2002, Brzezinski stepped in as the team's top football executive in the final years of Red McCombs' ownership. Then, Brzezinski was part of the power structure dubbed the "Triangle of Authority" during the Wilfs' early years of ownership. He had equal say in roster decisions with Rick Spielman (then the team's vice president of player personnel) and the Vikings head coach (first Brad Childress, then Leslie Frazier), with all three reporting directly to ownership. The Vikings won back-to-back NFC North titles in 2008 and 2009, which still represents the only time in the Wilfs' tenure that the team has made the playoffs in consecutive seasons. But the structure also created confusion about who had the final say over the roster. After the Vikings attempts to retain an aging roster resulted in a 6-10 season in 2010 and a 3-13 record in 2011, the team scrapped the three-person arrangement and gave Spielman full control of the roster as general manager in 2012.
Mark Wilf recently said, "He's going to build a collaborative team, work with the team we have, and that's where the expertise comes in here. He knows what we're strong at. He's going to know, with his experience, who he can lean on, and there are a lot of people to lean on in this building. I'm very confident in Rob, with Coach O'Connell and our entire football staff that we'll be able to navigate this."
Dive into Goessling's piece on Brzezinski's background and Minnesota's leadership approach here.
Additionally, see this story by our own Craig Peters on seasoned NFL exec Matt Thomas, whom the Vikings brought aboard Thursday as a football administration consultant to assist the personnel and football admin departments. Thomas spent 11 seasons (2013-24) in a major role in Seattle's front office.
Cause for celebration
There are Vikings ties to Super Bowl LX (yes, even beyond Seahawks QB Sam Darnold!).
On the eve of the matchup between New England and Seattle, veteran defensive lineman Javon Hargrave, who completed his first season in purple in 2025, and legendary wide receiver Randy Moss will be honored in the 27th annual Super Bowl Soulful Celebration, premiering on BET at 7 p.m. (CT) Saturday.
Launched for the first time in Miami in 1999, the celebration is designed to bridge cultures and ignite inspiration by bringing together players and acclaimed musicians from diverse genres onto a single stage.
Hargrave, an alum of South Carolina State University and a Pro Bowl selection with Philadelphia and San Francisco in 2021 and 2023, is being spotlighted for attaining stardom after excelling in a HBCU program.
Moss is receiving recognition for a lifetime of inspiration. He took the league by storm as a deep threat; he changed the way defenses deploy coverages; he excited fans with a bold personality; and he beat the odds, surviving stage 2 bile duct cancer to return to ESPN and star on the Sunday NFL Countdown show.
Additionally, journeyman quarterback Jameis Winston, a former No. 1 overall pick whose career path has pivoted from starter to backup, is the Faith in Action honoree. Winston's popularity has held steady, if not increased, amidst his title changes because of his commitment to lead graciously on and off the field.
The theme for this year's event is "Go Higher." It will be hosted by NFL MVP QB Cam Newton, and it will feature performances by GRAMMY® winners Pastor Mike, Jr., and Lalah Hathaway, plus Bay Area rapper LaRussell, Christian hip-hop artist Miles Minnick and American Idol winner Jamal Roberts, among others.
Curated segments filmed during the week of Super Bowl LX festivities in San Francisco and Los Angeles are refreshing the format and allowing the celebration, with a cinematic feel, to "slow down and be more intentional," according to Melanie Few, who founded the event and serves as executive producer.
Few commented: "By creating space for deeper storytelling, intimate performances and meaningful moments of reflection, we're able to honor powerful voices, impactful leaders on and off the field and the spirit of community that has defined the Super Bowl Soulful Celebration for more than 25 years."
You can learn more about the Super Bowl Soulful Celebration here.
