NFL Rumors: Patriots GM Candidate Rejects Interview With New England

The New England Patriots remain on the hunt for their next general manager, but one candidate isn’t interested in entertaining the position at all.

Cincinnati Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown reportedly turned down New England’s request for an interview, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Media. This means Brown, 39, will stay with Cincinnati for the upcoming season and revisit the market next offseason.

It also means the Patriots still have a vacant seat to fill.

New England hasn’t specified the title of the position, which de facto general manager Eliot Wolf — the team’s director of scouting — has held since the Patriots moved on from longtime head coach Bill Belichick. The organization has undergone a handful of leadership changes, naming Jerod Mayo the team’s newest head coach, and drafting quarterback Drake Maye with their third overall pick in April’s NFL draft.

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Brown was viewed as a premier candidate, but considering the Patriots have fallen from a dynasty to a restoration project, it’s likely that finding someone willing to inherit the hot seat won’t be easy. New England finished dead-last in the AFC East last season with a 4-13 record and hasn’t won a playoff game since Tom Brady was the quarterback.

The Patriots need to return to contention, but that’s easier said than done.

Skepticism and doubt will follow the Patriots throughout the 2024 season until the team proves itself capable of assembling a deep Super Bowl bid. Without Brady, that hasn’t been the case, making every decision — on the field and off — the franchise makes, extremely important moving forward.

For now, it starts in the front office.