The Minnesota Vikings are making headlines for all the wrong reasons this offseason. Just nine days before Super Bowl 60, the team made a bold and surprising move-firing general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
It's not often you see front office shake-ups this deep into January, but clearly, ownership felt it was time for a reset. And when you take a closer look at how things have unfolded over the past year, it’s not hard to see why.
One of the biggest decisions under Adofo-Mensah’s watch was rolling with JJ McCarthy as the quarterback of the future. But according to NFL insider Daniel Rotman, that nearly didn’t happen.
Minnesota was reportedly moments away from trading McCarthy to the Las Vegas Raiders last offseason. The deal fell through, and internal disagreements about drafting McCarthy in the first place are now coming to light.
Fast forward to now, and the Vikings are staring down the consequences of that decision. McCarthy’s rookie season was derailed by a knee injury, and while he returned to start 10 games in 2025, the results were mixed at best.
He completed just 57.6% of his passes, throwing 11 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. His passer rating?
A disappointing 72.6. Yes, the Vikings did manage to win six of those 10 starts, but the numbers paint a picture of a young quarterback still trying to find his footing.
And here’s where things get even tougher to swallow for Minnesota fans: Sam Darnold, the quarterback they passed on, is now one win away from a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks. He signed a three-year deal with Seattle in free agency and has helped guide them to the brink of a championship. That kind of success only adds fuel to the fire when looking back at the Vikings’ decision-making process.
There are also whispers that Minnesota may try to swing big again-this time targeting Joe Burrow in a blockbuster trade. That’s a long shot, of course, but it shows the urgency in the building. There’s even been chatter about a potential reunion with Daniel Jones if he hits free agency, though that scenario seems unlikely at this point.
Still, all is not lost for McCarthy. He’s got one of the best offensive minds in the game in head coach Kevin O’Connell, and the supporting cast around him is stacked.
Justin Jefferson is still one of the league’s premier wideouts, Jordan Addison has shown real promise, and tight end T.J. Hockenson remains a reliable weapon in the middle of the field.
If McCarthy is going to turn things around, 2026 will be the year to do it. The tools are there.
The coaching is there. Now it’s on him to prove he can be the guy.
The Vikings may be second-guessing their decisions now, but in the NFL, redemption is always just one season away.