The Minnesota Vikings are making headlines with a bold and unexpected move: parting ways with general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah just a year after signing him to an extension. The decision, first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, comes as a surprise-not just because of the timing, but because Adofo-Mensah was still actively involved in scouting prospects at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama when the news broke.
This isn’t your typical offseason shake-up. Adofo-Mensah, who had been at the helm for four seasons, was deeply embedded in the team's draft preparations.
For the Vikings to pull the plug now, in the heart of the pre-draft process, suggests a serious shift in direction at the top. Whatever the internal conversations were, Minnesota clearly decided it couldn’t wait until after April to make a change.
One subplot that adds fuel to the fire: Sam Darnold. The quarterback the Vikings let walk in free agency last March just lit up the NFC Championship Game for 346 yards and three touchdowns, punching Seattle’s ticket to Super Bowl 60. That’s a tough pill to swallow for a Minnesota front office that placed its future in the hands of rookie JJ McCarthy.
McCarthy, for his part, showed flashes of why he was so highly touted out of college. But the numbers weren’t pretty-he completed just 57.6% of his passes, threw more interceptions than touchdowns, and battled through multiple injuries. The potential is still there, no doubt, but it’s fair to wonder what this 9-8 Vikings team could’ve looked like with a second season of Darnold under center.
Of course, the quarterback question is just one piece of the puzzle. The draft hasn’t exactly been a gold mine during Adofo-Mensah’s tenure.
Several picks haven’t panned out, and if ownership felt the roster wasn’t progressing in the right direction, now was the time to pivot. Still, firing a GM mid-draft prep is a rare move-and one that raises questions about alignment and stability behind the scenes.
For now, Rob Brzezinski, the team’s longtime executive VP of football operations, will step in and steer the ship through the draft. The Vikings don’t plan to hire a new general manager until after April, meaning Brzezinski will be tasked with helping navigate one of the most critical stretches of the offseason.
That leaves head coach Kevin O’Connell in an interesting spot. He and Adofo-Mensah arrived in Minnesota as a package deal, and while O’Connell has delivered-including a five-game win streak to close the season and a Coach of the Year nod in 2024-he’ll now have to adjust to a new front office vision. That’s never easy, even for a coach with a proven track record.
The Vikings are at a crossroads. They’ve got a talented core, a head coach who’s shown he can win, and a fan base eager to see this team take the next step. But with uncertainty at quarterback, a new GM on the horizon, and a critical draft looming, the margin for error is razor-thin.
Minnesota’s ownership has made its move. Now the pressure is on to prove it was the right one.