Vikings reportedly request interview with Lions assistant GM Ray Agnew
Ray Agnew has been Lions' assistant GM since following Brad Holmes from the Los Angeles Rams in 2021
The Chicago Bears took one of the Detroit Lions ' prized assistants and made him head coach, and now another NFC North team could be looking at the Lions ' front office for help building its roster. The Minnesota Vikings have requested permission to interview Lions assistant general manager Ray Agnew for their vacant GM job, NFL Network reported Tuesday, May 12. Agnew has been general manager Brad Holmes' top lieutenant in the Lions front office since the two came to Detroit from the Los Angeles Rams in 2021.
He spent four seasons as director of pro scouting with the Rams in 2017-20 and was a Super Bowl-winning defensive tackle as a player. The Vikings fired Kwesi Adofo Mensah as GM after missing the playoffs with a 9-8 record last season but swept the season series with the Lions. The Vikings are reportedly considering nine external candidates , plus interim GM Rob Brzezinski.
The Lions reached the NFC championship game in 2023 and won a franchise-record 15 regular season games in 2024 but slumped to 9-8 last year. They've suffered significant losses on their coaching staff and in the front office in recent seasons. Coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn left to become head coach of the Bears and New York Jets, respectively, last winter, and top executives Lance Newmark ( Washington Commanders ), Mike Martin (Notre Dame) and Dave Sears (Arizona Cardinals) have left for promotions in the NFL or college football.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress. com .