After multiple rounds of interviews, the Minnesota Vikings reportedly made the decision on Saturday to hire Nolan Teasley as the team's newest general manager, according to NFL Media's Tom Pelissero.
Before landing the Vikings' job, Teasley spent more than a decade as a member of the Seattle Seahawks' front office, including the last four as their assistant general manager. During his time with the Seahawks, the franchise appeared in three Super Bowls and emerged victorious in two of them.
Minnesota is now hoping Teasley's championship background will help lead to his new team eventually winning its first-ever Super Bowl. But before turning any dreams of celebrating in a sea of purple and gold confetti into a reality, the Vikings' new general manager has a few immediate questions he needs to answer.
3 immediate questions Nolan Teasley must answer as the new Minnesota Vikings GM
1. Should the Vikings give Brian O'Neill an extension?
Currently, longtime Minnesota right tackle Brian O'Neill only has one year remaining on his contract with the team. There's been some chatter about the Vikings extending the Pro Bowl offensive lineman, but nothing has happened with that yet this offseason.
O'Neill is still only 30-years-old, so he should have at least a handful of solid seasons left, and he's one of the leaders of Minnesota's locker room. Extending him seems like an easy decision, but Teasley still needs to figure out sooner rather than later if the Vikings should give him a new deal or let him hit free agency after the upcoming season.
2. What should the Vikings do with their cap space after June 1st?
Thanks to designating Jonathan Allen as a post-June 1st cut earlier this year, a little more than $11 million in cap space will be freed up for Minnesota on Tuesday, June 2nd. These additional funds should give Minnesota slightly more than $14 million in cap space, according to the current data on OverTheCap.com.
With the Vikings' entire 2026 rookie class under contract already, this extra cash will likely be used to add another veteran or two to some position groups in need of help.
A new edge rusher, cornerback, guard, or safety makes the most sense for Minnesota to consider in free agency right now, but Teasley just needs to decide which move will be the most beneficial for the team when they take the field for Week 1 in September.
3. Should the Vikings continue to keep the door open for Harrison Smith?
Unlike some of the other general manager candidates, Teasley has never worked for the Vikings in the past. But it's safe to say he's very aware of how much Harrison Smith has meant to the franchise for the last decade-plus.
Smith is currently a free agent, and at 37-years-old, it would make plenty of sense for him to retire. However, there have been some rumblings that the All-Pro safety is leaning toward wanting to return to Minnesota for another season.
Over the years, the Vikings have had a bad habit of keeping guys around until their wheels literally fell off. So, there is definitely that risk with Smith, especially after he got off to a slow start last season due to an undisclosed injury.
Yes, the majority of Minnesota's fan base would love to see Smith suit up for the team next season. But as someone who has been on the outside looking in for the last several years, might Teasley have a different idea in mind when it comes to Smith's future with the Vikings?
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