Bears, Vikings reportedly want to interview Patriots executive Eliot Wolf for their vacant general manager jobs

Update 1/12/2021: Bears, Vikings reportedly want to interview Patriots executive Eliot Wolf for their vacant general manager jobs

The Chicago Bears are not the only team showing interest in New England Patriots scouting consultant Eliot Wolf. According to a report by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Minnesota Vikings have also requested to interview Wolf for their vacant general manager gig.

The Vikings parted ways with GM Rick Spielman earlier this week.

Original story 1/12/2021: Bears reportedly want to interview Patriots executive Eliot Wolf for their vacant general manager job

Two days after firing general manager Ryan Pace, the Chicago Bears have requested an interview with a member of the New England Patriots’ front office. As first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the team has asked permission to interview Patriots scouting consultant Eliot Wolf.

Wolf arrived in New England in March of 2020, and has played a prominent role in the team’s scouting department ever since. Last spring, for example, he spent considerable time on the scouting trail and represented the organization at the Pro Days of top-tier quarterback prospects such as BYU’s Zach Wilson, Ohio State’s Justin Fields and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance.

His experience as a personnel evaluator and NFL executive extends beyond those scouting trips, however.

Wolf filled several roles for three different organizations before joining the Patriots. Starting his career in the Green Bay Packers’ pro personnel department in 2004 under his father, Hall of Famer Ron Wolf, he worked his way up the ladder to become director of pro personnel (2012-14), of player personnel (2015), and of football operations (2016-2017).

He left Green Bay in 2018 to join the Cleveland Browns as assistant general manager, but was let go again in 2020. Following a short stint with the Seattle Seahawks, he joined the Patriots.

According to head coach Bill Belichick, he brought a new perspective to the organization.

“When you come from a different organization, or two organizations in the last couple years, have a fairly recent background of other philosophies, other ways of doing things,” Belichick said during the 2020 season.

“Certainly, he’s been able to help me in terms of, ‘Take a look at this. Here’s the way we did this.’ It might be something we tried and we don’t want to do it that way to it might be something that’s, ‘No, I hadn’t really looked at it that way, that’s a pretty good idea.’ It’s good to generate new ideas like that.”

Wolf is the second member of the Patriots organization to draw some interest recently. Just earlier this week, the Denver Broncos requested permission to interview inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo for their open head coaching position.