Ryan Grigson is headed back to Cleveland, where he worked as senior football adviser from 2020 to 2021 and senior personnel executive in 2017. Joe Robbins / Getty ImagesJune 24, 2026 9:01 pm EDT Updated Ryan Grigson is leaving the Minnesota Vikings to become a senior football adviser for Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry, a league source confirmed to The Athletic on Wednesday.Grigson, an assistant general manager under since-departed Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah last season, was given an opportunity to remain with Minnesota in a different role. Instead, he opted to return to Cleveland, the source said under the condition of anonymity because they hadn’t been authorized to speak publicly on the matter, where Grigson worked as senior football adviser from 2020 to 2021 and senior personnel executive in 2017.
Vikings gave former assistant GM Ryan Grigson an opportunity to remain with the team in a different capacity on Nolan Teasley's staff, source said. He has decided to pursue a role with another NFL team.
— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) June 24, 2026Most notably, Grigson led the Indianapolis Colts as general manager from 2012 to 2016 — an era of transition in which the franchise cut ties with quarterback Peyton Manning and drafted quarterback Andrew Luck with the 2012 No. 1 pick.In his previous post with the Vikings, Grigson formed a special bond with Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores, as detailed by The Athletic’s Mike Silver in 2025. Both were the subject of high-profile firings at previous stops due in part to “abrasive behavior,” but Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said that they helped establish a standard in Minnesota.“I have really enjoyed getting a chance to be around them every single day,” O’Connell said. “… Those guys have been huge pillars of what we’ve been able to accomplish, for sure, both on and off the field. It’s a real thing.”Grigson was named the Sporting News and Pro Football Writers of America NFL Executive of the Year in 2012 for his work turning around a Colts franchise that went from 2-14 in 2011 with Manning sidelined to 11-5 in Luck’s first year. Indianapolis went 52-34 over Grigson’s five seasons at the helm, including three playoff berths and an AFC Championship Game trip, but he was fired after back-to-back 8-8 seasons in 2015 and ’16.Jun 25, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms
