There are still a few weeks of the NFL season left to play, but the NFL coaching carousel has already begun. The New York Jets started this year's cycle by firing their head coach Robert Saleh in early October. Next up were the Las Vegas Raiders, who cut several coordinators but retained head coach Antonio Pierce — for now.
The Saints then fired head coach Dennis Allen in early November, and the Bears then fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron but retained head coach Matt Eberflus – again, for now.
Then the Jets started the front office carousel by firing their general manager Joe Douglas and kicking their recruiting into high gear. A number of people across the NFL landscape will be in high demand for these positions, and at least one of those people could come from the NFL .
Accordingly Ryan Grigson, the Vikings' acting vice president of player personnel, could be a name to keep an eye on heading into the Jets' opening or any other openings that become available. Grigson helped build a Vikings team that exceeded expectations in 2024 and has added a number of high-profile talent to the roster since his arrival in 2022.
Grigson also has experience as a GM in the league, serving in that position for the Indianapolis Colts from 2012 to 2016. This tenure was notable because the Colts drafted former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the first pick in the 2012 nfl draft.
Luck, along with Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano, immediately turned the Colts' fortunes around. They went from a weak team that went 2-14 in 2011 to finishing second in the AFC South in 2012 with an 11-5 record. Grigson's Colts won their division the next two seasons and reached the playoffs.
Ultimately, however, the Colts never managed to overcome the crisis during Grigson's tenure, and Grigson was fired after the Colts completed eight consecutive seasons and missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the start of the Peyton Manning era in Indianapolis .
Enough time has passed since his Colts tenure and the Vikings have done so well that Grigson will likely get a second chance at a GM gig if he wants it. Grigson's days with the Vikings could be numbered, be it this year or in the near future.