The New England Patriots general manager job is the NFL’s latest vacancy, and a new report suggests the organization will surprisingly remain vacant for the rest of the year.This will be a very important milestone for the Patriots. Last January, the organization decided to end its successful relationship with head coach Bill Belichick, who served as the team’s general manager, amid personnel changes.
While the franchise is filling its head coaching position with Jerod Mayo’s assistant, the general manager job is vacant as NFL free agency approaches. Owner Robert Kraft has hired a number of new HR professionals in recent weeks, but has made no effort to hire anyone specifically to fill the role of general manager.
And surprisingly, he seems to be able to do it all year round. According to CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones, “The Patriots have made no moves to interview outside candidates for the vacant football executive position since Bill Belichick left. “The team hasn’t had a general manager since Belichick took over, and that could happen again in 2024.”If you’re wondering if the NFL will allow teams to operate without a dedicated general manager for an extended period of time, yes.
When Belichick controlled roster decisions, he was designated the team’s “head football coach” by the league office. So who will make the big organizational decisions before the franchise’s big season? Even without a CEO, Jones said a source told him that “Research Director Eliot Wolff will lead New England State.” The hiring of NFL veteran Alonzo Highsmith to the team was further evidence that the Wolves have run their personnel department since Highsmith worked with him in Green Bay.
Wolff is the son of legendary Packers executive Ron Wolff and was an assistant general manager in Cleveland before joining the Patriots in 2020. The decision not to appoint an official CEO is somewhat odd and seems like a test of Wolff and his regime.Giving this team the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and giving that much money to spend in the NFL offseason to a group with no control over player decisions seems a little risky. table.
