Spielman played linebacker at Southern Illinois University (1983–86), earning first-team All-Gateway Conference honoree as a junior. He was also part of the 1983 NCAA Division I-AA national championship team as a redshirt freshman. Upon entering the NFL, as an undrafted free agent, he was invited to training camp with the San Diego Chargers (1987) and Detroit Lions (1988), but did not make it as a professional football player.[3]
Executive career
Early career
Spielman began his NFL career as a scout with Detroit in 1990 and worked with the club in college scouting for five seasons before adding pro scouting duties in 1995 and 1996.[3] He moved to director of pro personnel for the Bears from 1997 to 1999 before joining the Dolphins in 2000 as vice president of player personnel.[4] He was promoted in 2002 to senior vice president of football operations and player personnel and eventually general manager in 2004.[5] Spielman left the Dolphins during the 2005 offseason, later working at ESPN as an analyst.[3]
Miami Dolphins
Joining the club in 2000 as the VP of Player Personnel, Rick Spielman spent 4 years with the Miami Dolphins.[citation needed] Although Spielman was signed to a 3-year contract in January 2004 to be the General Manager, Spielman's power over personnel decisions was stripped when Dolphins owner H. Wayne Huizenga gave Nick Saban (who was hired in January 2005) complete control of football operations. This decision, along with the disastrous 2004 season and a falling out with Nick Saban, led Spielman to resign from his post as GM in June 2005.[6] Rick Spielman drafted multiple talented players who played in the NFL for many years including wide receiver Chris Chambers, tight end Randy McMichael, tackle Wade Smith, defensive back Yeremiah Bell, and tackle Vernon Carey.[citation needed] Chambers was a key player for the Dolphins for multiple years, retiring with over 7,000 receiving yards and over 500 receptions.[citation needed] Chambers even made a Pro Bowl in 2005. McMichael was a starting player for ten seasons, accumulating over 400 receptions and over 4500 receiving yards. Smith started 93 games and made a Pro Bowl with the Texans in 2012.[citation needed] Bell played 8 seasons with the Dolphins, starting 107 games, compiling over 700 tackles 8 interceptions, and 13 sacks. Carey started 7 seasons and posted an 86.6 PFF grade with the Miami Dolphins in 2008.[7] Despite his moderate success with drafting, Spielman was widely criticized for his trades. Spielman significantly overpaid for then Eagles backup Quarterback A.J. Feely by giving up a 2005 second round pick. Feely underperformed, posting an abysmal 61.5 QBR and throwing 11 touchdowns against 15 interceptions.[8][6] He also traded then team sack leader Adewale Ogunleye for wide receiver Marty Booker and a third round pick..[citation needed]
Minnesota Vikings
Spielman assumed the Vikings' vice president of player personnel role on May 30, 2006, replacing Fran Foley.[9] On January 3, 2012, Spielman was promoted to general manager of the Vikings.[10]
In 2014 Spielman was given the authority to make a head coaching change. He hired Mike Zimmer to replace Leslie Frazier.[13] Mike Zimmer and new offensive coordinator Norv Turner were involved in the draft process in 2014 and 2015. Notable 2015 draft picks on defense included Eric Kendricks who led the Vikings in tackles, Danielle Hunter who recorded 6 sacks in limited playing time and saw his role grow towards the end of the year. The Vikings also drafted star wide receiver Stefon Diggs (4x Pro Bowl, 1x First Team All Pro (2020), 1x Second Team All Pro (2022)).[14]
The draft aside, Spielman is best known for several key offseason moves. In 2012 Spielman helped the team sign fullback Jerome Felton who made it to the Pro Bowl that same year and who was a major contributor to Adrian Peterson rushing for the second-highest amount of rushing yards in a season in NFL history.[15] In 2013, Spielman traded WR Percy Harvin for the Seattle Seahawk's 2013 1st, 7th and 2014 3rd round draft picks.[16] The trade proved to be largely beneficial for the Vikings, as they used that pick on All-Pro Cornerback Xavier Rhodes. In 2015, the Vikings brought in Terence Newman and traded for Mike Wallace. The emergence of Stefon Diggs and a poor schematic fit caused the Vikings to cut Wallace, who was subsequently scooped up by the Ravens.[17] However, Both Newman and Rhodes contributed to a record-breaking 2017 Minnesota Vikings defense that led the franchise to its first Conference Championship appearance since 2009.[18] Perhaps the best trade Spielman ever made was during the 2020 offseason. Stefon Diggs and a seventh round pick was traded to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a first, fourth, fifth, and sixth round pick. With the Bill's 22nd pick of the 2020 draft, the Vikings selected superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson. The following draft, Rick Spielman displayed even more analytic prowess in what would be his final showcase of trade wizardry. During the 2021 NFL draft, The Vikings were sitting at 14th Overall with Rashawn Slater and Justin Fields freshly drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers and Chicago Bears, Spielman traded down 9 spots to take PFF's second best ranked Offensive Tackle with the 23rd overall pick of the draft. Darrisaw has been an elite left tackle for the Minnesota Vikings so far, posting PFF grades of 71, 90, and 83 for each of his respective seasons.
Although Spielman drafted well and made some great trades, he struggled to consistently land talent through free agency. In the 2012 offseason, before Kyle Rudolph was drafted, Spielman signed Seattle Seahawks tight end John Carlson to a 5-year, $25 million contract.[19] Carlson played only two years for the franchise before being cut, never amassing more than 400 yards receiving. During the 2013 offseason, Spielman signed veteran Green Bay wide receiver Greg Jennings to a 5-year, $47.5 million ($18 million guaranteed) contract.[20] Jennings failed to surpass 900 yards receiving during his brief tenure and was cut after two seasons.[21] During the 2016 Offseason, Tackle Mike Remmers was signed to a 5-year, $30 million deal and Guard Alex Boone was signed to a 4-year, $26.8 million deal. Despite both being signed for multiple years, both players were cut within two years. There were some notable exceptions such as the signing of Pro Bowl nose tackle Linval Joseph, who was a key contributor to the Vikings 2017 playoff run. In addition, Spielman successfully found key starters in undrafted free agents such as Andrew Sendejo, Adam Thielen and Anthony Harris.[citation needed]In hopes of finally winning it all, the Vikings signed free agent QB Kirk Cousins to a fully guaranteed 3-year $84 million contract in 2018.[22] This signing by Spielman caused tension between him and head coach Zimmer, who was reluctant to allocate such a significant portion of the salary cap to a single player.[23]
In August 2020, Spielman signed a multiyear extension with the Vikings.[24] Despite the heavy investment at Quarterback, the Vikings failed to make the playoffs in the 3 of 4 years that Kirk Cousins was Quarterback under Mike Zimmer. Tension rose between Speilman and Zimmer, with things coming to a head during the 2021 NFL Draft. In an interview with the Star Tribune, Zimmer stated that "...When he picked [Kellen] Mond, I walked out of the room... I left the building. I didn’t even talk to him on the phone.". Zimmer also expressed displeasure with Speilman's attempt to trade up for Justin Fields, and his lack of involvement with the day 2 selections.[25] Spielman was fired after 16 years with the team in January 2022.[26] In January 2024, Spielman worked with the Washington Commanders as an advisor in a search that led to the hiring of general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn.[27]
