Hot Seat Check for Every GM Ahead of 2025 NFL Draft

Wide receivers, edge-rushers and offensive tackles all get massive contracts in the NFL if they do their jobs well. Quarterbacks get even bigger bucks—and most of the individual accolades. But for every team loaded with stars, there’s an architect behind that team that puts it all together.

The general manager.

This past February, the Philadelphia Eagles destroyed the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. The play of Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and edge-rusher Josh Sweat may have decided that game, but it was Howie Roseman who put that team together—just as it was Brett Veach who made the Chiefs a juggernaut in the AFC.

Of course, for every general manager who excels at their job, there are those who are just average. There are also those who are, well, terrible at it.

Ask Lions fans about Matt Millen. Great player. Solid analyst. But as a general manager?

Horrible.

With the first few waves of free agency behind us, let’s take a look around the NFL at all 32 general managers, from guys like Veach and Roseman who are on the solidest of ground to a few guys who are one more down season away from trying to get a gig on FS1.

AFC East

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Brandon Beane

Buffalo Bills: Brandon Beane

Since hiring Beane back in 2017, the Bills have enjoyed their most successful run since the team made four straight Super Bowls from 1990-1993. Beane’s first draft pick as general manager was Pro Bowl cornerback Tre’Davious White, and the following year the team selected Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen.

Buffalo has just one losing season since Beane was hired, and the team has won the AFC East each of the past five years. The Super Bowl has eluded Beane’s Bills to this point, but he’s widely regarded as one of the NFL’s best general managers.

Hot Seat Meter: 1/10

Miami Dolphins: Chris Grier

Grier has been Miami’s general manager since 2016, and it has been something of a bumpy ride—Miami has made the postseason three times over that span, but it has been 24 years since the Dolphins won a playoff game.

Grier’s record where draft picks are concerned is up-and-down—there have been some solid selections (Jaylen Waddle in 2021), but also some rather glaring mistakes (Charles Harris in 2017). Grier also gave oft-injured quarterback Tua Tagovailoa a $212.4 million extension last year.

Miami has made the postseason two of the past three years, but after a disappointing 2024 campaign. There’s considerable pressure on the Dolphins to turn it around this year.

Hot Seat Meter: 6/10

New England Patriots: Eliot Wolf

Technically, Wolf’s title is executive vice president of player personnel, but he’s the guy calling the shots personnel-wise in Beantown. Wolf has over two decades of experience in NFL front offices, but this is just his second season running the show for the Pats.

The Patriots had a miserable 2024 season that got head coach Jerod Mayo shown the door after just one year, but Wolf’s front office appears to have hit on a quality quarterback last year when they drafted Drake Maye.

The team will need to show improvement this year, but for now at least Wolf appears to be on solid ground.

Hot Seat Meter: 3/10

New York Jets: Darren Mougey

It has been a long, dark time in the Big Apple—the Jets haven’t had a winning season in a decade and haven’t made the playoffs since 2010. Mougey was brought in alongside new head coach Aaron Glenn this year in an effort to turn things around.

Mougey’s first round of free agency appeared to go fairly well, highlighted by the team bringing in Justin Fields at quarterback. However, while Mougey’s on firm ground for now, there probably won’t be a ton of margin for error—even in the early-going.

Hot Seat Meter: 2/10

NFC East

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Joe Schoen

Dallas Cowboys: Jerry Jones

There isn’t a general manager in National Football League who is on more solid ground than Jones—largely because in order to get rid of him, the Cowboys owner would have to fire himself.

Anything’s possible in Jerruh World, but that’s um, unlikely.

Jones long tenure as general manager (well over 30 years) has featured three Super Bowl wins, but just one after Jimmy Johnson left and none since 1995. However, even if you hold Jones largely responsible for that dry spell, the status quo in Big D ain’t changing.

Hot Seat Meter: 0/10

New York Giants: Joe Schoen

New York’s general manager since 2022, Schoen’s tenure with the team has been, um, yeah. This isn’t to say that Schoen hasn’t done anything right (the Malik Nabers pick last year appears to have been a home run), but he signed off on the $160 million extension that blew up in the Giants’ faces.

Given ownership’s comments this offseason, unless the Giants show significant improvement in 2025, Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll could both be looking for work next year. And with the coach and general manager reportedly operating as “separate entities,” things don’t look especially good.

Hot Seat Meter: 9/10

Philadelphia Eagles: Howie Roseman

With the exception of the 2015 season (when Eagles ownership gave personnel control to then-head coach Chip Kelly, Roseman has been running the show in Philly since 2010. And it has been quite the ride.

Roseman has named the Pro Football Writers of America’s Executive of the Year twice, he has been responsible for any number of picks that had a massive impact on the franchise (including drafting quarterback Jalen Hurts in 2020), and the Eagles have advanced to three Super Bowls, winning two.

Roseman is one of the best in the business—hands down.

Hot Seat Meter: 1/10

Washington Commanders: Adam Peters

After a seven-year stint in the personnel department of the San Francisco 49ers, Peters took over as Washington’s general manager last year. And the 45-year-old hit the ground running in the nation’s capital.

Peters’ first draft pick (quarterback Jayden Daniels) was the runaway choice for Offensive Rookie of the Year a year ago, and the Commanders surprisingly made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game.

Peters was wildly aggressive adding veteran talent this offseason, so there will be greatly increased expectations in 2025. But for now at least, it’s all smiles in the nation’s capital.

Hot Seat Meter: 2/10

AFC North

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Andrew Berry

Baltimore Ravens: Eric DeCosta

DeCosta was the handpicked replacement for Ozzie Newsome in Baltimore, taking over for the Hall of Famer after over 20 years in the Ravens’ organization—including seven years as Newsome’s assistant.

The Ravens haven’t been able to get over the hump and into the Super Bowl under DeCosta, but the 2019 Sporting News Executive of the Year has steered a franchise that has won at least 10 games in five of the last six seasons. The Ravens don’t make rash decisions, and it would take multiple years of missing the postseason for DeCosta’s job to be in any kind of jeopardy.

Hot Seat Meter: 1/10

Cincinnati Bengals: Duke Tobin

Technically, the Bengals don’t have a general manager—the 54-year-old Tobin is the director of player personnel, a role he has held since 1999. Earlier in his tenure, team owner Mike Brown had a larger role in personnel decisions, but in recent years Tobin has been calling the shots.

The Bengals have added a number of impact players in recent drafts, even if guys like quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Combine the team’s success with Burrow under center and Tobin’s lengthy tenure with the team, and barring a complete faceplant in 2025 (and maybe 2026), Tobin’s job security is likely better than head coach Zac Taylor’s.

Hot Seat Meter: 3/10

Cleveland Browns: Andrew Berry

Life comes at you fast in the NFL—just ask Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry. Not that long ago, he was considered a rising young star among NFL executives. Then came the single worst personnel move in NFL history—and now Berry may well be the next general manager who gets shown the door.

The kicker? The five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed abomination of a contract the Browns gave Deshaun Watson probably wasn’t even Berry’s idea—it reeks of meddling from team owner Jimmy Haslam. But it’s Haslam’s party, and unless the Browns improve markedly in 2025 both Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski could wind up scapegoats for the Watson fiasco.

Hot Seat Meter: 8/10

Pittsburgh Steelers: Omar Khan

Khan has been the Steelers’ general manager since 2022, when he took over for longtime GM Kevin Colbert. It has been something of a rocky ride since—Khan’s first draft contained an ill-advised move up to draft offensive lineman Broderick Jones, and the Steelers still haven’t won a playoff game since 2016.

On one hand, the Steelers are arguably the most patient franchise in the NFL—this is a team that has had just three head coaches in franchise history. But Pittsburgh’s long drought of postseason success and an uncertain situation under center have created some unease in the Steel City—another down season could lead the Rooney family to make some changes.

Hot Seat Meter: 5/10

NFC North

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Brad Holmes

Chicago Bears: Ryan Poles

The general manager of the Bears since 2022, the team hasn’t had much success on the field under Poles. But it’s worth pointing out that it was Poles who turned the first overall pick in 2023 (quarterback Bryce Young) into wide receiver D.J. Moore, offensive tackle Darnell Wright, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and quarterback Caleb Williams—plus an extra second-rounder in the 2025 draft.

With new head coach Ben Johnson in Chicago there’s considerable enthusiasm in the Windy City, and the team wasn’t bashful in free agency this year. But it’s important that Poles has a solid 2025 draft—and that the team shows some real improvement this year.

At some point, potential has to turn into results.

Hot Seat Meter: 4/10

Detroit Lions: Brad Holmes

Since taking the helm in Motown in 2021, Holmes has turned one of the NFL’s laughingstocks into a legitimate Super Bowl contender. As a matter of fact, an argument can be made that the Lions have the most talented roster in the entire NFL—especially on offense.

One of Holmes’ first big moves was the megadeal that sent Matthew Stafford to Los Angeles for Jared Goff and a bevy of picks. But that was hardly Holmes’ only big success—he drafted key contributors like running back Jahmyr Gibbs, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson.

Holmes isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Hot Seat Meter: 1/10

Green Bay Packers: Brian Gutekunst

Gutekunst has been running the show in Titletown since 2018, and the Packers have enjoyed considerable success over that span—three NFC North titles and five trips to the playoffs. The team also made a pair of NFC Championship Games, although they haven’t advanced that far since 2020.

For the most part, Gutekunst has handled free agency and the NFL draft well, including the selection of quarterback Jordan Love late in the first round in 2020. The Packers are one of the league’s more patient franchises, and so long as the team remains a playoff contender Gutekunst’s job should be safe.

Hot Seat Meter: 3/10

Minnesota Vikings: Kwesi Adofo-Mensah

The 2025 season will mark Adofo-Mensah’s fourth year in the Twin Cities, and for the most part it’s been a good run. Adofo-Mensah can’t take credit for drafting star wideout Justin Jefferson, but he used a combination of veteran signings and draft picks to assemble a roster than won 14 games a year ago.

Frankly, Adofo-Mensah’s long-term prospects may depend on a pair of items. The first is whether quarterback J.J. McCarthy is a legitimate NFL starter. The second is what Adofo-Mensah does to address a porous defense that allowed 237.8 yards per game last year through the air—sixth-most in the league.

Hot Seat Meter: 3/10

AFC South

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Chris Ballard

Houston Texans: Nick Caserio

After 20 years with the New England Patriots, Caserio became the general manager of the Houston Texans in 2021. Caserio has had quite a bit of success in the NFL draft the past few years, adding the likes of quarterback C.J. Stroud and edge-rusher Will Anderson Jr. in the 2023 draft.

However, while the trade that brought Anderson to Houston was a hit, dealing tackle Laremy Tunsil this year was something of a puzzler. Houston has won a playoff game each of the past two seasons though and won the AFC South both of those years. Caserio’s on solid ground for now, but positive progress would be welcome.

Hot Seat Meter: 2/10

Indianapolis Colts: Chris Ballard

Ballard has been in Indianapolis a while now, and there was a time it appeared the sky was the limit for the 55-year-old—in Ballard’s second season as the team’s general manager, Ballard was named Executive of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America.

In recent years, though, much of the shine has worn off Ballard.

Last year’s 8-9 campaign marked the fourth straight season in which the Colts have missed the playoffs. Ballard’s selection of quarterback Anthony Richardson fourth overall in 2023 appears to have been a major miss. And since taking Quenton Nelson in 2018, Ballard’s record in Round 1 has been shaky.

Another bad season could be the end of the line.

Hot Seat Meter: 8/10

Jacksonville Jaguars: James Gladstone

The Jaguars hit the reset button at head coach and general manager in the offseason, tabbing Gladstone in the latter role after nine years in the Rams organization. At 34, Gladstone is one of the youngest people ever to become a general manager in the NFL.

Outside trading wide receiver Christian Kirk to the Houston Texans, Gladstone’s first round of free agency was relatively quiet. The Jaguars have a top-five pick in this year’s draft and as a new general manager Gladstone should have some leeway, but if the Jags don’t start showing improvement relatively quickly the honeymoon in Duval County could be short-lived.

Hot Seat Meter: 3/10

Tennessee Titans: Mike Borgonzi

Head coach Brian Callahan survived a disastrous 2024 season in Tennessee, but there’s a new general manager in Nashville in Borgonzi. Borgonzi spent 15 years in the Kansas City Chiefs organization, serving as the team’s director of football operations for three years and assistant general manager for four.

A well-regarded personnel mind, Borgonzi’s first draft pick as a GM will be the first pick in the 2025 NFL draft—presumably Miami quarterback Cam Ward. Borgonzi is on steadier ground than Callahan entering the 2025 season, but how Ward fares in the NFL will have much to do with his future draft security.

Hot Seat Meter: 3/10

NFC South

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Jason Licht

Atlanta Falcons: Terry Fontenot

The 2025 season marks Terry Fontenot’s fifth as the general manager of the Atlanta Falcons. It could also be something of a make-or-break year for the 44-year-old after the Falcons missed the postseason for the seventh consecutive season in 2024.

Drafting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in Round 1 last year just after signing veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins sent some eyebrows skyward, but in hindsight it was actually a fairly savvy move. The problem for Fontenot is that while his first-round picks have been generally solid, he has struggled to make any real progress improving a mediocre team—especially the pass-rush.

Unless Atlanta makes the playoffs in 2025, both Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris could be on thin ice.

Hot Seat Meter: 7/10

Carolina Panthers: Dan Morgan

Morgan inherited a difficult job in Carolina in 2024—the Panthers were a terrible team with no first-round draft pick as a result of the Bryce Young trade. Young showed some signs of improvement last year, but the Panthers were atrocious defensively, surrendering just under 180 yards per game on the ground.

Morgan won’t have a second-rounder this year, either—the final piece of the Young deal. And given the team’s myriad needs, the Panthers aren’t especially likely to be a factor in the NFC South this year, and with Carolina owner not exactly known for his patience, a shakeup in Charlotte can’t be ruled out.

Hot Seat Meter: 5/10

New Orleans Saints: Mickey Loomis

Mickey Loomis is one of the longest-tenured executives in the NFL—he has been at the helm of the Saints for over two decades, was general manager when the team won its only Super Bowl and was named the 2006 PFWA Executive of the Year. At one time, he was considered among the best at his job in the game.

But that was then—and this is now.

The Saints made the NFC title game in 2018, but that’s as close as they have come to the Super Bowl since 2009. Since Drew Brees hung them up, the Saints have been a mediocre team hamstrung by bad contracts that have left New Orleans in constant cap purgatory.

An argument can be made that the Saints need a change. But to date, ownership has shown no indication that Loomis’ job is in real jeopardy.

Hot Seat Meter: 4/10

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jason Licht

Licht has been on the job in Tampa since 2014, and under his leadership the Buccaneers have enjoyed arguably the most successful stretch in franchise history. The Buccaneers have won the NFC South in each of the past four seasons and made the playoffs in five straight years, including a victory in Super Bowl LV.

Now, the arrival of Tom Brady had something to do with that Super Bowl win, but Licht has made a number of excellent first-round picks, beginning with wide receiver Mike Evans all the way back in 2014. There’s some pressure on the Buccaneers this year to do more than just make an appearance in the postseason, but Licht’s job is about as safe as a general manager’s gets—at least for now.

Hot Seat Meter: 1/10

AFC West

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Brett Veach

Denver Broncos: George Paton

As Paton enters his fifth season in Denver, the Broncos are in relatively good shape. The team made the playoffs last year. The Broncos have a Super Bowl-winning coach in Sean Payton. And the selection of quarterback Bo Nix in Round 1 a season ago could be a game-changer for the organization.

That pick wasn’t the only first-rounder that Paton hit out of the park—his first first-rounder in 2021 (cornerback Patrick Surtain II) is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. But Denver sent their firsts in 2022 and 2023 to Seattle for quarterback Russell Wilson, and it’s going to take a while to wash off the stink from that gaffe.

Hot Seat Meter: 3/10

Kansas City Chiefs: Brett Veach

Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach’s tenure can be summed up in one pick—his first. Back in 2017, Veach traded up in Round 1 to take a young quarterback out of Texas Tech. His name was Patrick Mahomes.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Since Veach took over in Kansas City, the Chiefs are a staggering 100-32. In each and every year since 2018, the team has made it at least as far as the AFC Championship Game. The Chiefs have played in five Super Bowls, winning three.

Mahomes may get most of the credit for engineering the NFL’s latest dynasty. But it was Veach who brought Mahomes to Kansas City—and who assembled the team around him.

Hot Seat Meter: 1/10

Las Vegas Raiders: John Spytek

It’s the dawn of a new era in Sin City, with Pete Carroll coming out of retirement to coach the Raiders and Spytek joining him as general manager after nine years in Tampa Bay that included two as Jason Licht’s assistant at general manager.

The new regime has injected excitement into the fanbase—but Carroll and Spytek have their work cut out for them.

The Raiders aren’t completely without star power, headlined by edge-rusher Maxx Crosby. And one of Spytek’s first moves as general manager was a trade with Seattle that brought quarterback Geno Smith to Vegas. But this is a team with multiple holes on both sides of the ball playing in a division that put three teams in the postseason in 2024.

Mark Davis is going to need to be patient here. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Hot Seat Meter: 2/10

Los Angeles Chargers: Joe Hortiz

Hortiz joined the Chargers last year alongside new head coach John Harbaugh—and it became evident early on that the former was building exactly the sort of team that the latter wanted. Under Hortiz, the Chargers have prioritized building through the trenches on both sides of the ball, in free agency and the draft.

The challenge for Hortiz now is taking the next step with the Chargers in a division the Kansas City Chiefs have completely dominated for the past decade. Last year’s playoff run leaves the Bolts picking outside the top-20, but with 10 selections overall Hortiz has the ammo to move up if a player catches his eye on April 24.

Hot Seat Meter: 2/10

NFC West

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John Schneider

Arizona Cardinals: Monti Ossenfort

2025 is just Ossenfort’s third season as the general manager in Arizona, but he has two decades of experience in NFL front offices spread across five organizations. Unfortunately, to date at least that experience hasn’t equated to success in the desert—the Cardinals are 10 games under .500 the past two years.

Granted, it wasn’t Ossenfort who gave Kyler Murray a five-year, $230.5 million contract extension. And two of the three first-round picks Ossenfort has made appear to be solid selections. But the Cardinals have made the postseason just once since 2016. If the team doesn’t make a playoff run in 2025, Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon are going to be sitting on hot seats.

Hot Seat Meter: 7/10

Los Angeles Rams: Les Snead

You have to give it to Les “**** Them Picks” Snead. He does things his way. And his way has worked.

Over seven consecutive seasons from 2017 to 2023, the Rams didn’t have a first-round draft pick—Snead traded them away for veteran players like cornerback Jalen Ramsey and quarterback Matthew Stafford. But you can’t argue with results, and in 2021 the Rams won Super Bowl LVI—their first in Los Angeles.

This doesn’t mean Snead can’t draft, though. In 2014 he picked one of the best defensive players of all time in Aaron Donald, and with his first first-rounder in eight years in 2024, Snead took edge-rusher Jared Verse, who went on to be named Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Hot Seat Meter: 1/10

San Francisco 49ers: John Lynch

2025 will mark John Lynch’s ninth season running the San Francisco 49ers, and last year’s miserable season aside, it has been a good run—the Niners have advanced to the postseason four times, making it at least as far as the NFC Championship Game four times with a pair of Super Bowl trips. In 2019, he was the PFWA Executive of the Year.

Lynch got lucky with the Brock Purdy “Mr. Irrelevant” pick, and frankly his record in the first round hasn’t been good—including one of the biggest boondoggles of the past decade in the Trey Lance deal. Given San Francisco’s success in his tenure Lynch would appear to be on solid ground, but that ground could soften considerably if the Niners miss the postseason again this season.

Hot Seat Meter: 3/10

Seattle Seahawks: John Schneider

The “Legion of Boom” may be gone in Seattle, but one of the architects of that team remains in the Pacific Northwest—Schneider has been the team’s general manager since 2010, and was the architect of the team that quarterback Russell Wilson led to back-to-back Super Bowls in 2013 and 2014.

The Seahawks have just one losing season since 2011, and won a postseason game as recently as 2019. But Schneider made a sizable gamble in the offseason, replacing quarterback Geno Smith and wide receiver DK Metcalf with Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp. The move netted the Seahawks a couple of Day 2 picks, but there have already been grumbles that Seattle needs a full-on reset—and a new man in charge.

If these moves backfire, those rumbles could grow louder.

Hot Seat Meter: 3/10