The Minnesota Vikings made headlines this week with the firing of general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah-a move that, while not entirely unexpected, raised eyebrows due to its timing. Just a day earlier, Adofo-Mensah was in Mobile, Alabama, representing the franchise at the Senior Bowl, scouting draft prospects and maintaining the usual front-office presence. That public-facing role made the decision feel abrupt, and it’s sparked plenty of conversation around where the blame truly lies for the team’s recent struggles.
Let’s be clear: Adofo-Mensah’s tenure wasn’t without its missteps. As a first-time GM coming from a non-traditional football background, he faced a steep learning curve.
But the idea that he alone was responsible for the Vikings’ shortcomings oversimplifies a much more nuanced situation. The narrative that he was a rogue decision-maker doesn’t hold up under scrutiny-especially when it comes to arguably the most pivotal decision of his tenure: the selection of quarterback J.J.
McCarthy.
In the 2024 NFL Draft, the Vikings moved up one spot to take McCarthy with the 10th overall pick. Two seasons in, that pick hasn’t aged well.
McCarthy has battled through injuries, struggled with development, and shown flashes of poor situational awareness. But here’s the key: that pick wasn’t made in a vacuum, and it certainly wasn’t made by Adofo-Mensah alone.
According to Alec Lewis of The Athletic, who broke down the situation on his podcast, head coach Kevin O’Connell played the central role in McCarthy’s selection. “The entire 2024 draft process, that led to the picking of JJ McCarthy, was orchestrated, designed, executed with Kevin O’Connell as the primary lead,” Lewis said.
“No one hid behind that. No one overlooked that.”
That’s a significant revelation. O’Connell, who came to Minnesota with a reputation as a quarterback developer, was the driving force behind the team's quarterback evaluation process last spring. That includes not just McCarthy, but the entire quarterback carousel the Vikings navigated-passing on re-signing Sam Darnold, failing to land Daniel Jones, and exploring options like Joe Flacco, Ryan Tannehill, and even Aaron Rodgers.
The Vikings weren’t bad enough in 2023 to secure a top-tier quarterback prospect in what was considered a deep draft class. That meant getting the evaluation right on someone like McCarthy or Bo Nix-who went two picks later to Denver-was absolutely critical. And that evaluation fell squarely under O’Connell’s umbrella.
Despite that, there’s been a concerted effort in some media circles to shield O’Connell from criticism. But the facts don’t support a narrative that places all the blame on Adofo-Mensah.
The quarterback decision-the one that may ultimately define this era of Vikings football-was O’Connell’s call. And while he may have had a strong vision for McCarthy’s potential, the early returns haven’t justified the investment.
This isn’t to suggest that Adofo-Mensah was without fault. Leadership in the NFL is collaborative, and when things go sideways, everyone at the top shares in the fallout. But the idea that the former GM acted unilaterally in key personnel moves doesn’t match how NFL front offices actually operate-especially not in Minnesota, where O’Connell’s influence on roster construction was well established.
As the Vikings move forward, the spotlight now shifts to O’Connell. With Adofo-Mensah out of the picture, there’s no buffer between the head coach and the results on the field.
The quarterback room is his project. The offensive direction is his vision.
And the accountability? That’s his too.
The Vikings need answers at the game’s most important position, and they need them soon. McCarthy may still develop into the player O’Connell envisioned, but if he doesn’t, the consequences won’t fall solely on the shoulders of a former GM. O’Connell will have to own that outcome-and everything that comes with it.