Want to know which NFL general managers stood out in this year’s free agency? Check out our ranking of the most talked‑about GMs.
From trades being cancelled to huge extensions and big new signings, this year’s NFL free agency period in March was once again full of drama. When it comes to each team’s moves, the general manager is the person who usually receives praise (or criticism) from fans depending on what they think of the team’s actions.
With this in mind, NFL betting site Betway wanted to find out which NFL general managers are proving to be popular amongst their fans since free agency started, and contracts started to be signed.
Using a social listening tool to analyze online posts since March 9th, the data found that the Seattle Seahawks’ John Schneider had the most positive sentiment towards him. A whopping 69% of posts mentioning Schneider in the state of Washington included a positive sentiment.
While the team lost Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III to the Kansas City Chiefs, Schneider seems to have enough credit in the bank with Seahawks fans after building a championship winning roster. In addition to this, Seattle re-signed Rashid Shaheed while also agreeing a blockbuster extension with superstar wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Rob Brzezinski ranks as the second most popular GM during this free agency period with 60% of posts mentioning him in Minnesota including a positive sentiment. Brzezinski isn’t technically the team’s general manager, but he is overseeing operations following the firing of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
The Vikings signed veteran quarterback Kyler Murray to a one-year, $1.3 million deal. The former number one overall pick is expected to have a strong chance of starting for the team amidst trade chatter surrounding last year’s starter J.J. McCarthy. The Vikings also managed to re-sign Eric Wilson who had a breakout 2025 season.
New York Jets fans haven’t had much to celebrate in recent years, but the data suggests fans could be optimistic about the near future. Positive sentiment towards GM Darren Mougey stood at 59% during the free agency period.
The Jets were active in both the trade and free agent markets. Minkah Fitzpatrick, T’Vondre Sweat and Geno Smith, who will be gearing up for his second stint at the Jets, were all acquired via trades. Meanwhile, in free agency, the team also acquired another ex-favorite in Demario Davis while signing names such as Joseph Ossai and David Onyemata too.
The table below highlights the positive sentiment for each NFL GM since the start of NFL Free Agency.
Rank | General Manager | Team | Positive Sentiment |
1 | John Schneider | Seattle Seahawks | 69% |
2 | Rob Brzezinski* | Minnesota Vikings | 60% |
3 | Darren Mougey | New York Jets | 59% |
4 | Dan Morgan | Carolina Panthers | 56% |
5 | Les Snead | Los Angeles Rams | 55% |
6 | John Spytek | Las Vegas Raiders | 54% |
7 | Mike Borgonzi | Tennessee Titans | 53% |
8 | Omar Khan | Pittsburgh Steelers | 52% |
9 | Jerry Jones | Dallas Cowboys | 50% |
10 | Nick Caserio | Houston Texans | 49% |
11 | Jon-Eric Sullivan | Miami Dolphins | 47% |
12 | John Lynch | San Francisco 49ers | 45% |
13 | James Gladstone | Jacksonville Jaguars | 41% |
14 | Howie Roseman | Philadelphia Eagles | 40% |
15 | Brian Gutekunst | Green Bay Packers | 38% |
16 | Ian Cunningham | Atlanta Falcons | 37% |
17 | Adam Peters | Washington Commanders | 35% |
18 | Brandon Beane | Buffalo Bills | 34% |
19 | Brett Veach | Kansas City Chiefs | 31% |
20 | Jason Licht | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 30% |
21 | Chris Ballard | Indianapolis Colts | 29% |
22 | Brad Holmes | Detroit Lions | 27% |
23 | Eric DeCosta | Baltimore Ravens | 26% |
24 | Ryan Poles | Chicago Bears | 25% |
25 | Eliot Wolf | New England Patriots | 22% |
26 | Joe Hortiz | Los Angeles Chargers | 20% |
27 | Andrew Berry | Cleveland Browns | 19% |
28 | Mickey Loomis | New Orleans Saints | 17% |
29 | Joe Schoen | New York Giants | 16% |
30 | Duke Tobin | Cincinnati Bengals | 15% |
31 | George Paton | Denver Broncos | 12% |
32 | Monti Ossenfort | Arizona Cardinals | 8% |
*Rob Brzezinski is Executive Vice President of Football Operations and will lead the Vikings’ operations through the 2026 NFL Draft.
On the other hand, Arizona Cardinals’ Monti Ossenfort has proven to be on the hot seat with a positive sentiment score of just 8% in Arizona.
The Cardinals are entering a new era following the hiring of Mike LaFleur and the release of Kyler Murray. The Cards have added some notable names such as Tyler Allgeier, Gardner Minshew II, and Kendrick Bourne but fans seem to be potentially gearing up for another tough season.
Denver Broncos general manager George Paton built a roster which reached the AFC Championship Game last season and may have gone even further if their starting quarterback Bo Nix stayed healthy. However, with online positive sentiment towards Paton during free agency at just 12%, Broncos fans seem uneasy with their offseason activity so far.
The team managed to bring back some talent such as J.K. Dobbins and Justin Strnad. However, they have been relatively conservative when it comes to signing new names. The Broncos did manage to trade for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle though, in a move which will surely earn Paton some favor back with fans.
Cincinnati Bengals’ Duke Tobin ranks as the third most under fire GM during free agency, with a positive sentiment score of 15%. After years of rumors, the team finally lost superstar pass rusher Trey Hendrickson to free agency as he signed with divisional rivals Baltimore Ravens.
The team have made some splashes in free agency though. On the defensive side, they signed safety Bryan Cook and edge rusher Boye Mafe. Offensively, they re-signed a couple of starters on the o-line in Orlando Brown Jr. and Dalton Risner, while also retaining veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, who will provide reliable cover for Joe Burrow.
There’s still plenty of time remaining in the NFL Offseason though which means many front office executives have the opportunity to redeem themselves via trades, signings or even the 2026 NFL Draft. And if you’re looking for more interesting insights like this throughout the offseason, just head over to the Betway site!
Methodology
Using the social listening tool Brandwatch, we analyzed online mentions of each NFL general manager in their team’s home location. These general managers were then ranked highest to lowest based on the percentage of mentions which included positive sentiment.
Online mentions from March 9th, 2026 – March 25th, 2026, were analyzed.
