Minnesota Vikings fire GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
The Minnesota Vikings have fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the team announced Friday.
Adofo-Mensah was hired in 2022 along with head coach Kevin O'Connell. The team signed him to a contract extension less than a year ago.
"Following our annual end-of-season organizational meetings over the last several weeks and after careful consideration, we have decided it is in the best interest of the team to move forward with new leadership of our football operations," owners Mark and Zygi Wilf said in a statement. "These decisions are never easy. We are grateful for Kwesi's contributions and commitment to the organization over the past four years and wish him and his family the best in the future."
His firing comes less than a month after the end of the Vikings' regular season, and less than three months before the NFL draft. The Vikings said Executive Vice President of Football Operations Rob Brzezinski will lead the team until then.
"After the draft, we intend to conduct a thorough search to identify our next general manager," the Wilfs said. "Building a team that can contend for championships drives us every day, and we look forward to bringing our fans the success they so deserve."
Adofo-Mensah brought several impactful free agents to the Vikings, particularly on defense — linebackers Blake Cashman and Andrew Van Ginkel and pass rusher Jonathan Greenard, among others. But his draft classes were disappointing. His first-ever draft pick, safety Lewis Cine (No. 32 overall in 2022), is no longer in the league. Wide receiver Jordan Addison was a hit, but questions remain with all of his other first-round picks: quarterback J.J. McCarthy, pass rusher Dallas Turner and guard Donovan Jackson.
Adofo-Mensah did find contributors in later rounds — wide receiver Jalen Nailor (No. 191 overall in 2022) and kicker Will Reichard (No. 203 overall in 2024) in particular — but his overall hit rate has been poor.
The final nail in Adofo-Mensah's coffin may have been the decision to prioritize McCarthy over re-signing quarterback Sam Darnold. Though the Vikings reportedly offered Darnold a similar contract to what he signed with the Seattle Seahawks, Darnold chose the team that gave him a clearer path to a starting job. Darnold and the Seahawks will play against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8.
