Vikings assistant GM George Paton had garnered interest from NFL teams this offseason, but that wasn’t shocking.
Paton, who finished up his 14th season with Minnesota, has been considered for the general manager role in the past, like when he withdrew his name from the Browns GM job.
This offseason, things were different. Paton left to become the GM of the Broncos. Denver’s President of Football Operations, John Elway, said Paton is one of the more widely respected executives in the NFL.
“Early in this process, it became clear why George has been such a coveted GM candidate for so many years,” President of Football Operations John Elway said, via the Broncos. “He is a proven evaluator who knows every detail of leading football operations. With his experience in all aspects of the job—the college and pro sides, salary cap, trades, working with the head coach and bringing the staff together—George is more than ready to succeed in this role.”
The Vikings also released a statement from Paton on Friday.
