Longtime NFL personnel executive Ryan Grigson is headed back to Cleveland to reunite with GM Andrew Berry and the Browns.
At least one fan base appears to be relieved with the news. Browns fans? They're probably not sure whether to feel happy or confused right now.
Grigson has been vilified by Indianapolis Colts fans since his disastrous tenure there as general manager from 2012-16. He’s most infamously remembered as the GM who failed to protect his own No. 1 overall draft pick, Andrew Luck, which ultimately led to the battered quarterback’s abrupt retirement from pro football in 2019.
Most recently, Grigson served as the Minnesota Vikings' assistant GM under Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who was fired in late January. The Vikings’ draft struggles under Adofo-Mensah’s watch have been well documented, with the most glaring being their 10-player class of 2022 that no longer features a single player on the current roster.
Vikings voice Chris Schad, in a piece for FanSided’s Horseshoe Heroes, quickly warned NFL fans of Grigson’s worrisome track record following Wednesday’s news that he was leaving Minnesota to pursue a role with another NFL team.
Of course that team had to be the Cleveland Browns.
“Grigson will likely land somewhere else and bring his brand of destruction that he’s brought to the Vikings and Colts. While Grigson’s replacement, Chris Ballard, has his own problems to worry about, another failed stop should bring a smile to the face of Colts fans who may wonder who the next team will be to bring him aboard.”
Ryan Grigson's track record gives Browns fans plenty of reasons to be skeptical
Grigson has a rather fascinating history with the Browns. This will be his third separate stint with Cleveland, and his second under Berry’s regime. Even wilder — he was Berry’s boss in Indianapolis from 2012-15, when the then-25-year-old was serving as the Colts’ pro scouting coordinator.
One of Grigson’s most indefensible moves was his decision to send a first-round pick to Cleveland during the 2013 season for running back Trent Richardson. That move completely blew up in his face, as Richardson averaged less than 3 yards per carry with the Colts that year.
The Browns, though, whiffed even harder with Grigson’s draft gift. In 2014, they packaged that Colts first-rounder in a trade up the board for quarterback Johnny Manziel.
Cleveland’s motivation to welcome Grigson back into the fold obviously has nothing to do with his great work in Minnesota. It likely has everything to do with his longstanding relationship as one of Berry’s top mentors over the years. According to longtime Cleveland sportswriter Pat McManamon, Grigson will report to Berry with the title of senior personnel executive in 2026.
For what it’s worth, Grigson was last advising the Browns’ front office in 2021, which was Year 2 of the Berry-Kevin Stefanski era. Adofo-Mensah was also on Cleveland’s staff during those seasons as VP of football operations. Grigson’s job was to do some background scouting and provide administrative support to both Berry and Adofo-Mensah as they got settled into their new roles.
There were no glaring red flags from those most recent Cleveland years. Grigson’s other stop was in 2017 under former GM John Dorsey.
In a non-decision-making role? Grigson should be able to fade into the background, to the point where Browns fans will probably forget all about this hire in a couple of weeks. Plenty provided some candid reactions to the news in the comments section of this tweet from insider Mary Kay Cabot:
Breaking: Ryan Grigson is returning to the #Browns as a Senior Football Advisor, source tells clevelanddotcom.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) June 24, 2026
And for good reason. Whatever advice Grigson was giving to Adofo-Mensah in Minnesota definitely wasn’t working. The Vikings have been stuck in a draft cold streak for years, only able to turn a handful of their selections into starting-caliber players.
The Browns better hope those bad vibes don’t follow Grigson to Cleveland, as Berry’s operation has arguably been the NFL’s best during draft weekend over the past two years.
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