Vikings Introduce Former Seahawks Executive Nolan Teasley As New General Manager

The Minnesota Vikings are handing the keys of the franchise to one of the sharpest young minds in football. On Wednesday morning, the team officially introduced Nolan Teasley as their next new general manager. Teasley arrives in Minnesota after a 13-year tenure with the Seattle Seahawks working under general manager John Schneider. Long described as Schneider’s right-hand man, Teasley now gets his opportunity to run his own front office one season after helping the Seahawks win Super Bowl LX. "I want to thank the Seahawks organization and John Schneider for preparing me for this opportunity," Teasley said Wednesday at his introductory press conference. "They did that by allowing me to see high-caliber leadership in the building on a day-to-day basis. I was raised in this league by seeing it done the right way." Teasley’s unique journey began when his wife encouraged him to swap the security of a marketing career for his passion for football. He sent letters to every NFL team, but only the Seahawks answered the call, giving him his foot in the door as an intern. What started as a leap of faith has come full circle, with Teasley landing his first general manager role with the Vikings. "I always had aspirations of being a general manager," Teasley said. "It wasn't necessarily the goal. The goal was to be where my feet were and learn and progress in that way and so that's why I needed a minute. This is an amazing day, and I'm so very appreciative of being here." Teasley succeeds Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, whose roster-building strategy leaned heavily on data analytics. While he plans to utilize analytics, Teasley won't rely on them as strictly, choosing instead to prioritize the coaching staff’s vision for player development over pure numbers. "The way that we look at it is that we're going to be guided by evaluation," Teasley said. "We're going to be anchored by data. Then the final piece, kind of as we work through our three pillars of acquisition and evaluation, is that, what's really important, is the coach's vision for the player." This time around, Vikings ownership ran an exhaustive search. Following the firing of Adofo-Mensah in January, Vice President of Football Operations Rob Brzezinski steadied the ship, steering them through the offseason and the NFL Draft as the interim general manager. The finalists included internal candidate Brzezinski alongside assistant general managers Terrance Gray (Buffalo Bills), Reed Burckhardt (Denver Broncos), and John McKay (Los Angeles Rams). Teasley was the only external candidate without prior ties to the Minnesota organization. "I think we have it all put together in a great way," Co-Owner Mark Wilf said. "I’m confident that this is a great move for the Minnesota Vikings." Under the new front-office hierarchy, Wilf revealed that Teasley and head coach Kevin O’Connell will report to ownership, while Brzezinski reports to Teasley. Most notably, Teasley was awarded final say over the 53-man roster, a level of control Adofo-Mensah never had. Still, Teasley views this structure as no different from the collaborative environment he left in Seattle. "You’re anchored by process so that everybody understands the foundation of it all," Teasley said. "If you have disagreements, you go back to the beginning. You start over. We work together until we have that consensus." O’Connell, who is friends with Schneider, said he met Teasley three years ago at the NFL scouting combine and that he made a quick impact on the coach. Years later, that connection has evolved into a shared vision for the Vikings' organizational culture. "I know the responsibilities that I have," O’Connell said. "One of those is to build a unique relationship where it’s built on trust, and it’s built on a level of personal responsibility to be competent in your role for the greater good of others. Now, we support each other." Schneider’s endorsement carried significant weight, given the deep respect Vikings ownership and O’Connell have for the Seahawks. Now in Minnesota, Teasley plans to implement the same evaluation strategies he learned under his former mentor. "In terms of John [Schneider], anything we’re talking about here is building alignment and consensus and being collaborative," Teasley said. "That’s what we did in Seattle. That’s what we’re going to do here." For the Vikings' ownership group, importing that championship culture meant finding a leader who possessed both the right resume and the right personality. In Teasley, they believe they found both. "I have a lot of respect for the Seattle Seahawks organization," Wilf said. "John Schneider, the whole team over there, the coach, so, yes, that did have a factor to play in it. But that’s got to be along with the person."

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10-Time Pro Bowl QB Russell Wilson Announces Retirement In Emotional 'Thank You' Video

Russell Wilson has called it a career, officially. A few days after announcing his NFL broadcasting aspirations, Wilson released a video to coronate his playing career. The 13-year quarterback reminisced on his favorite NFL moments. He thanked the coaches and teammates who lifted him up along the way. He laid all the emotions out there. "Thank you, football," Wilson said to conclude the video. "I thank you, I thank you, I thank you." Wilson remembers "falling in love" with football while playing for fun with his father and brother. Eventually, he said, "my love for football turned from something more than a passion. It was an obsession." In college, Wilson led the Wisconsin Badgers to a Rose Bowl victory in his senior year of college, while leading the Big Ten with 33 touchdowns. He was then selected with the 75th overall pick in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. Wilson said he remains grateful to former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll for his role in that decision. "To coach Carroll, thank you for taking a chance on a young, 5-11, Black kid, from Richmond, Virginia, that was told ‘he was too small to ever make it in the NFL,’" Wilson said in his retirement video. "We knew what winning was like." Wilson and Carroll led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl XLVIII victory over the Denver Broncos. The Seahawks returned the following year, but lost Super Bowl XLIX to the New England Patriots. He won 104 games over 10 years in Seattle, while earning nine Pro Bowl selections. "To Seattle, you raised me," Wilson said. "Not just all the wins and crazy loud games. But also the forever memories after we won the Super Bowl." Wilson played four seasons outside of Seattle — two in Denver, one with the Pittsburgh Steelers and another with the New York Giants in 2025. While he didn't experience the same success as he did for the Seahawks, his teammates, he said, made an impact. "To every teammate I've had the privilege of sharing the locker room with, thank you for the sacrifices, the brotherhood, the memories." Wilson will remain in the living rooms of football fans, players and coaches everywhere, but his playing days will not soon be forgotten.

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Transcendent Sean McVay Poised To Maximize Super-Talented Myles Garrett For Rams

LOS ANGELES — After appearing grumpy following the Los Angeles Rams' first-round selection of backup quarterback Ty Simpson on draft night, head coach Sean McVay was back to his chippy, enthusiastic self after his team consummated one of the biggest trades in NFL history, securing the league’s best defensive player in former Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett. Garrett sat sandwiched between jovial Rams general manager Les Snead and McVay during the opening moments of his introductory press conference. And then the duo got down to the nitty-gritty of a franchise-altering move that had been in the works for months, according to Snead. The Rams went from slight favorites over the defending champion Seattle Seahawks to the overwhelming pick to win the Super Bowl with Garrett in the fold. But Garrett isn’t getting too far ahead of himself, acknowledging his new team still must go out and do it on game days. Garrett said he found out a week ago about the possibility of landing in Los Angeles via trade. "On paper, I’m sure things look great, but we got to go out there and put the work in," Garrett said at the podium. "It starts in the field, starts in the classroom, and we’re not going to take a single day for granted. We’re not going to be looking at any odds or favorites. We’re going to win each game day-by-day." Those wise words from Garrett were music to McVay’s ears. "It’s one day at a time and I love everything that he said because I couldn’t be more in agreement," McVay said. "We’re not going to let the outside narratives affect our ability to be courageous every single day and go swing and see what the hell happens." Garrett has had four head coaches, 16 starting quarterbacks and just one playoff win during his time with the Browns. He’s finished with double-digit sacks for eight consecutive seasons in Cleveland, won the Defensive Player of the Year twice and is third among active leaders in the NFL with 125.5 sacks. An eight-time captain and five-time All-Pro, Garrett is the only player in league history to record at least 14.0 sacks in five consecutive seasons (2021-25). With the move to the bright lights of L.A., Garrett finally has a transformative head coach in McVay that matches his superstar talent. During that same time Garrett has been in the league, McVay has led the Rams to seven playoff berths and two Super Bowl appearances, winning Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles. The Rams have had eight winning seasons with four NFC West titles under McVay’s guidance. At 40 years old, McVay is currently the fifth-youngest coach in the NFL, but he’s also the second-longest tenured coach behind only Andy Reid. By moving to Los Angeles, Garrett gets the stability and sustainable success he coveted in Cleveland. "They love playing the game and they love playing the game for this guy," Garrett said, motioning toward McVay during the press conference. "That means a lot, having a player’s coach lead you onto that field and wanting to give the extra effort and go the extra mile for him and for each other. That’s what you feel going on to that field now. These guys are going to war, not just as individuals but as a team. That’s how you end up playing those games later into the year." McVay already has proof of concept that he can coax the most out of extremely talented, high-maintenance athletes. Jalen Ramsey, Von Miller, Eric Weddle, Odell Beckham Jr. and Matthew Stafford are all players brought in by McVay who performed to their full potential in helping to lead the Rams to a Super Bowl victory. Garrett now joins that group as a hired gun for the Rams in a move made to help put this franchise over the top in winning a Super Bowl in their home stadium for the second time in league history. Yes, I previously stated the Rams would miss the playoffs as one of my five bold predictions earlier this offseason. But I must amend my prediction after this seismic move in securing the services of a future Hall of Famer in Garrett. And that move could lead to the return of another future Hall of Famer, as former Ram Aaron Donald is considering coming out of retirement. McVay was asked about the possibility during the press conference. "Aaron’s a guy that I stay really close in touch with, and I know the respect that he has for Myles," McVay said. "I talked to him about the opportunity to be able to bring [Garrett] on board. If Aaron decides he wants to dust them off at the age of 35, I bet you he could still do it at a pretty high clip." Garrett said he watched highlights of the Rams' fabled "Fearsome Foursome," led by Hall of Famers Deacon Jones and Merlin Olsen during the Rams' heyday in the 1960s when he was a high schooler. Garrett is now in a position to chase that high bar set by those four and others like Donald. "I see a position to solidify myself here as well among the greats," Garrett said. "I still have plenty of great years in front of me and being able to cement that legacy not only as a football city here in L.A., but as an individual [winning Defensive Player of the Year] for a Super Bowl and more. Those things are definitely pressing on my mind, and I have a bit of urgency to do it and do it right away." The Rams need Garrett at his best, and they might have to make sure he's playing at a Defensive Player of the Year level right away. They have one of the toughest schedules in the league, starting with a season opener in Australia against their NFC West rivals, the San Francisco 49ers. That’s just the beginning of a five-game stretch that includes games at the Denver Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles, plus a home game against the Buffalo Bills. Garrett will have some help around him, at least, even as the Rams decided to let go of promising edge rusher Jared Verse. Byron Young, who led the team in sacks last season, will complement Garrett along the edge, while Los Angeles has a few other formidable players in the defensive interior (Kobie Turner, Poona Ford). Of course, the Rams also made a major swing to improve their secondary this offseason, giving up a handful of draft picks (including a first-rounder) for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie before signing his Kansas City Chiefs teammate, Jaylen Watson. Still, Garrett will be the catalyst of the Rams' defense, and McVay's pleased to have the two-time Defensive Player of the Year leading that side of the ball. "He’s a pain in the ass to game plan against and I’m glad we don’t have to do that anymore," McVay said. "He makes other guys around him better and I know he’s excited to come in and be a big part of this culture and we can’t wait to get to work."

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A.J. Brown On Jalen Hurts Relationship After Eagles Trade: 'There's No Bad Blood'

The long-awaited trade of wide receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots finally came to fruition on Monday. But as the deal went down, it further raised the question of how things went sour so quickly between Brown and the Philadelphia Eagles. Brown's relationship with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was widely speculated as a top reason why Philadelphia opted to move on from the star pass-catcher. Brown confirmed that his relationship with Hurts wasn't as strong as it once was during an appearance on the "7 p.m. in Brooklyn" podcast. However, Brown dispelled the notion that he holds any animosity toward Hurts. "Not as close as we once were. I believe that's fine. There's no bad blood. There's actually a lot of love. I love him. I love him to death. I want him to succeed and accomplish all the things he wants to accomplish," Brown said. "I didn't truly understand why our friendship became the center of everybody's attention when it came to football, because, looking back at it, we haven't been as close as we were for a couple of years now." Brown took to social media to air out his frustrations with the Eagles' offense throughout the 2025 season. Even though Brown had 78 receptions for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns, he continued to be visibly upset by not having a consistent role in Philadelphia's offense. That led to rumors about Brown's relationship with Hurts and what might have caused the two to grow apart. But Brown isn't sure what might have led to his relationship with Hurts souring. "Nothing happened. People just grow apart, and nothing happened between me and him or our families, wives or anything. Nothing like that ever happened," Brown said. "But life happens. You just look up sometimes and find yourself drifting away, and that's fine. I think both parties accepted that." Brown and Hurts played together for four seasons, with the wide receiver joining the Eagles after he was traded from the Tennessee Titans in 2022. Together, the pair appeared in two Super Bowls, with a win in Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2025. Last season, the Eagles' run to repeat fell short, losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the wild-card round. That loss ended up marking the end of Brown's time in Philadelphia, with trade rumors swirling shortly after. And as the rumors began, Brown shared that he told his agent he didn't want to be with the Eagles anymore. "Just talked to my agent. Had a one-on-one sit-down, and he got the green light from me," Brown said. "I was kind of behind the scenes. I wasn't pushing anything and he worked his magic, you know? So, we're here." It had been reported for months that the Patriots would be the likely landing spot for Brown. There were a few reasons why New England would've enticed Brown, too. The Patriots were coming off a Super Bowl run, with Drake Maye emerging as one of the NFL's top quarterbacks. On top of that, heading to New England means that Brown will reunite with his former Titans head coach, Mike Vrabel. But as Brown landed with a team that many thought was an ideal landing spot for him, he denied that he requested to only be traded to a certain team. "I kind of let [my agent] handle that," Brown said. "Obviously, I know it's my career, but I trust him in that area, in that space. That's your job. We talked about a few things, not to get into details, but I let him know all of it. Like I said, it was one of those things where I sat back and enjoyed my family each and every day. That's my only focus: being the best father and husband I can be."

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A.J. Brown Earns High Praise From Patriots: ‘Closest Thing I’ve Seen Is Gronk’

A.J. Brown has already made a strong impression on his new team. The New England Patriots' newest wide receiver received strong praise from head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels on Tuesday. In fact, after seeing Brown practice for the first time since the Patriots traded for him on Monday, McDaniels compared the star wideout to one of the greatest Patriots players of all time. "There’s a force to the way he plays the game … Maybe the closest thing I’ve seen is Gronk," McDaniels told reporters, referring to former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. "This is a big guy." Gronkowski became synonymous with the Patriots’ physical identity during his career, dominating defenders with his size, strength and presence in the red zone. Gronkowski logged 79 touchdown receptions in his nine seasons with the Patriots, as New England hopes Brown can be its next great red zone threat. Vrabel believes that Brown can not only succeed in that role, but he also thinks the wide receiver can bring a similar edge to New England’s offense that Gronkowski once did. "I think he loves football," Vrabel told reporters on Tuesday. "I think that he has a physical skill set. I think he’s got great body control. I think he’s strong at the catch point, but I also think he’s grown as a player and wide receiver." Vrabel has seen Brown’s development firsthand. He coached Brown for three seasons with the Tennessee Titans, seeing the 2019 second-round pick quickly blossom into one of the NFL's top pass-catchers. As the two team up again for the first time since 2021, Vrabel still has a unique understanding of what Brown can bring both on and off the field. "Just the nuances of release versus press or playing versus bracketed coverages," Vrabel said. "[Brown] plays physical with the football and has been a productive and physical player." Brown’s ability to overpower defenders while still creating separation has made him one of the league’s toughest matchups at the position. That type of talent has helped Brown log six 1,000-yard seasons in his first seven years, reaching that threshold again in 2025 in what many thought was a down season for the former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver. Vrabel believes those traits can help elevate the Patriots' offense moving forward, as the team looks to make another Super Bowl run in 2026. "I’m just excited to add the player," Vrabel said. "I know that the football team is looking forward to having him at practice and get acclimated and whatever that looks like today. For Brown, reuniting with Vrabel and officially being traded to the Patriots still hasn’t fully sunk in. He described the move as feeling almost like "heaven," capturing just how surreal the moment has been now that it’s become reality. "Just trying to take it all in as much as I can," Brown told reporters. "Obviously, I got back to work quickly, but there are levels to it. I’m enjoying it. Obviously, I know this ain’t heaven, but it’s close to it."

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A.J. Brown Earns High Praise From Patriots: ‘Closest Thing I’ve Seen Is Gronk’

A.J. Brown has already made a strong impression on his new team. The New England Patriots' newest wide receiver received strong praise from head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels on Tuesday. In fact, after seeing Brown practice for the first time since the Patriots traded for him on Monday, McDaniels compared the star wideout to one of the greatest Patriots players of all time. "There’s a force to the way he plays the game … Maybe the closest thing I’ve seen is Gronk," McDaniels told reporters, referring to former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. "This is a big guy." Gronkowski became synonymous with the Patriots’ physical identity during his career, dominating defenders with his size, strength and presence in the red zone. Gronkowski logged 79 touchdown receptions in his nine seasons with the Patriots, as New England hopes Brown can be its next great red zone threat. Vrabel believes that Brown can not only succeed in that role, but he also thinks the wide receiver can bring a similar edge to New England’s offense that Gronkowski once did. "I think he loves football," Vrabel told reporters on Tuesday. "I think that he has a physical skill set. I think he’s got great body control. I think he’s strong at the catch point, but I also think he’s grown as a player and wide receiver." Vrabel has seen Brown’s development firsthand. He coached Brown for three seasons with the Tennessee Titans, seeing the 2019 second-round pick quickly blossom into one of the NFL's top pass-catchers. As the two team up again for the first time since 2021, Vrabel still has a unique understanding of what Brown can bring both on and off the field. "Just the nuances of release versus press or playing versus bracketed coverages," Vrabel said. "[Brown] plays physical with the football and has been a productive and physical player." Brown’s ability to overpower defenders while still creating separation has made him one of the league’s toughest matchups at the position. That type of talent has helped Brown log six 1,000-yard seasons in his first seven years, reaching that threshold again in 2025 in what many thought was a down season for the former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver. Vrabel believes those traits can help elevate the Patriots' offense moving forward, as the team looks to make another Super Bowl run in 2026. "I’m just excited to add the player," Vrabel said. "I know that the football team is looking forward to having him at practice and get acclimated and whatever that looks like today. For Brown, reuniting with Vrabel and officially being traded to the Patriots still hasn’t fully sunk in. He described the move as feeling almost like "heaven," capturing just how surreal the moment has been now that it’s become reality. "Just trying to take it all in as much as I can," Brown told reporters. "Obviously, I got back to work quickly, but there are levels to it. I’m enjoying it. Obviously, I know this ain’t heaven, but it’s close to it."

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Browns GM Andrew Berry On Myles Garrett Trade: Jared Verse 'A Perfect DNA Match'

Everything we expected to happen in the NFL on June 1 transpired. The Philadelphia Eagles traded star wide receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots. Odell Beckham Jr. reunited with the New York Giants. And the Los Angeles Rams acquired superstar defensive end Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns. Wait, what's that last one? Yes, Garrett, who set the NFL single-season record with 23.0 sacks last season, was traded to the Rams in one of the biggest deals in league history. For Garrett, the Browns received a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-rounder, a 2029 third-rounder and third-year linebacker Jared Verse, whose addition excited Browns general manager Andrew Berry. "He's a huge part of this return for us. Jared is an outstanding football player — a former Defensive Rookie of the Year and a two-time regional ballot Pro Bowler," Berry said about Verse when discussing the blockbuster trade at a press conference on Tuesday. "He's a perfect DNA match for our attacking front. He's really a terror in both phases, both as a run defender and a pass rusher. We are really, really excited about adding him to our team. "He allows us to continue to play defense at a high level, which has been our standard over the past several seasons, and we're really excited to welcome him into the organization." Verse, whom the Rams selected with the No. 19 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Florida State, was the 2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in a campaign that saw him total 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and 66 combined tackles in the regular season and then two sacks and a 57-yard scoop-and-score across two postseason games. Last season, Verse racked up 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and 58 combined tackles. Verse, a Pro Bowler in each of his first two seasons (2024 and 2025), was second in the NFL in hits (20), fourth in forced fumbles (three) and solo tackles (38), fifth in assists (18) and sixth in hurries (52) in 2025, according to Pro Football Focus. Verse joins a Cleveland defense that was third in the NFL in opponent passing yards (167.2 per game), fourth in opponent total yards (283.6 per game), 14th in opponent points (22.3 per game) and 16th in opponent rushing yards (116.4 per game) last season. Granted, all that happened with Garrett, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and five-time All-Pro. The Browns have a new head coach in former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, whose defense coordinator is former Atlanta Falcons defensive pass game coordinator and New York Jets linebackers coach Mike Rutenberg.

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