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By Jordan Sigler
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With the trade deadline coming on Nov. 10, there is a lot of buzz surrounding NFL general managers as they consider whether to add players for a playoff push this season or trade away players to stack up draft capital for a future season.
General managers play a key role in deciding the makeup of a roster. They have to identify talent and make high-pressure decisions every year for the NFL draft. The best general managers have to look at the big picture, locking in valuable players on deals that are favorable for the organization and athlete to make sure their team can contend for the postseason consistently.
Hiring the right head coach and making sure the roster aligns with their scheme is another important part of the gig.
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After talking to several sources in and around the league, here are the top four general managers of all time in the modern era (1994 and beyond) and four general managers who could eventually get on that list.
(Note: The names are in alphabetical order by first name).
Best of All Time
Bill Belichick
In addition to being the head coach, Belichick served as the de facto GM for the Cleveland Browns from 1992 to 1995. The Browns won a playoff game in 1994. He served as the head coach and de facto GM for the New England Patriots from 2000 to 2023, winning six Super Bowls and appearing in three more.
In his 28 years as an executive, Belichick had a 296–155 record in the regular season and went 31–13 in the postseason. His six Super Bowls as an executive are tied with Dan Rooney, Art Rooney Jr. and Bill Nunn for the second-most in league history, only behind Neal Dahlen, who won seven Super Bowls in total with the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos in a non-GM role. Belichick won eight Super Bowls in total, with two coming as a defensive coordinator with the New York Giants.
Belichick had an eye for finding talent that would fit his scheme and the culture he wanted to set for the locker room.
Howie Roseman
Roseman started as a front office intern with the Philadelphia Eagles before working his way to becoming the general manager in 2010. During his time as an Eagles executive, Philadelphia won Super Bowl LII and LIX (as well as appeared in Super Bowl LVII). Those Super Bowls came with different head coaches (Doug Pederson, Nick Sirianni) and different quarterbacks (Nick Foles, Jalen Hurts).
Roseman has a 152-116-1 record in the regular season and a 10-8 record in the postseason with the Eagles since 2010. Roseman is highly praised for his ability to manage the salary cap and make aggressive trades to keep Philadelphia a consistent playoff competitor.
In his first 16 seasons as the top executive, the Eagles made the postseason 10 times and have won the NFC East six times.
John Schneider
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Schneider took over as general manager and executive vice president of the Seattle Seahawks in 2010. He earned a promotion to general manager and president of football operations in 2024. Schneider built the "Legion of Boom" defense that won Super Bowl XLVIII and made another appearance in Super Bowl XLIX with head coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Russell Wilson.
Schneider rebuilt Seattle after moving on from Carroll and Russell. The Seahawks won Super Bowl LX with head coach Mike Macdonald and quarterback Sam Darnold. Schneider has a 165-103-1 record with Seattle in the regular season and a 13-9 record in the postseason.
Schneider's teams have made the postseason 11 times in his first 16 seasons. He won Super Bowl XXXI as a scout with the Green Bay Packers, giving him a total of three Super Bowl wins.
Ozzie Newsome
As a first-round pick in the 1978 draft by the Cleveland Browns, Newsome had a Hall of Fame playing career, earning seven All-Pro nominations and making three Pro Bowl appearances. Newsome got his start as an executive with the Browns in 1991, serving as an assignment scout.
Newsome was part of the team that made the transition to Baltimore in 1996, where he became the executive vice president/player personnel for the Baltimore Ravens before being promoted to general manager in 2002. He became the first Black GM in the NFL. He's helped the Ravens win Super Bowl XXXV and XLVII, and remains with the Ravens as executive vice president/player personnel.
From 1996 to 2018, the Ravens went 200-167-1 in the regular season under Newsome and 15-9 in the postseason. Newsome's brilliant and bold final act as general manager was drafting Lamar Jackson, a move that has worked out for Baltimore.
Current GMs Who Have a Chance to Make the List
Brad Holmes
Holmes started his career as an executive with the St. Louis Rams in 2003. In 2013, he worked under Rams general manager Les Snead as their director of college scouting. Holmes took over as executive vice president and general manager of the Detroit Lions in 2021. His first major move was trading Matthew Stafford in exchange for Jared Goff, two first-round picks, and a third-round pick. That draft capital allowed the Lions to add key talents, including Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Sam LaPorta.
Under Holmes, the Lions won back-to-back NFC North titles in 2023 (the first time they won the division in 30 years) and 2024. Holmes has a 53-38-1 record in the regular season and a 2-2 record in the postseason with the Lions. Detroit made the NFC Championship Game for the 2023 season.
At 5-2, the Lions appear poised to make a run for the playoffs for the third time in six seasons with Holmes.
Brandon Beane
Beane started his executive career with the Carolina Panthers in 1998, getting the opportunity to work with a prestigious brain trust that includes Marty Hurney and Dave Gettleman. He became the general manager of the Buffalo Bills in 2017, and added the title of President of Football Operations in January of 2026.
During Beane's time with the Bills, Buffalo has a 104-51 record in the regular season and an 8-8 record in the postseason. During his first nine years with the Bills, the team only missed the playoffs in 2018, his second season with the team and Josh Allen's rookie season.
At 6-1, the Bills appear poised for a deep playoff run under first-year head coach Joe Brady. A Super Bowl victory feels inevitable for Allen and Beane in Buffalo.
Jason Licht
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Licht is a two-time Super Bowl champion, winning his first as a national scout for the New England Patriots in 2001. He took over as general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014. The Buccaneers won Super Bowl LV with legendary quarterback Tom Brady.
Following Brady's retirement, the Buccaneers have remained competitive despite needing to make significant changes to their roster in the last half decade. Tampa Bay won four consecutive NFC South championships from 2021 to 2024. Licht has a 96-109 record in the regular season and a 6-4 record in the postseason.
The Buccaneers started the 2026 season with an 0-4 record, but have won three of their last four games and are poised to make things interesting in the NFC South once again now that Baker Mayfield is healthy.
Les Snead
Snead started his executive career as a pro scout with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995. As a director of player personnel, he worked under general manager Thomas Dimitroff with the Atlanta Falcons from 2009 to 2011. Snead became the general manager of the St. Louis Rams in 2012, helping the organization win Super Bowl LVI.
Under Snead, the Rams have a 127-109-1 record in the regular season and a 10-6 record in the postseason. In his first 14 years, the Rams have made the postseason seven times and made the Super Bowl two times.
Snead and the Rams made daring moves during the 2026 offseason to make a Super Bowl push this season. The Rams are sitting at 4-4 entering Week 9, but they could be poised to go on a run when Myles Garrett returns to full health.
Honorable mentions: Bill Polian (Indianapolis Colts 1998-2009), Kevin Colbert (Pittsburgh Steelers 2016-2022), John Dorsey (Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Browns 2013-2019), Ted Thompson (Green Bay Packers 2005-2017), and Thomas Dimitroff (Atlanta Falcons 2008-2020).
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