The Minnesota Vikings have relieved Kwesi Adofo-Mensah from his position as general manager. That we know. Still, nobody is sure what led to the sudden departure.
While many point to his drafting issues, others speculate that there might be something more going on behind the scenes. In any case, ownership has shown it has faith in head coach Kevin O’Connell and is willing to put all its belief and funds into his abilities.
So, why now? What has led to what seems like a rash decision — and why does it all lead back to the 2022 draft?
Timing
The timing of this dismissal is intriguing and unconventional. Ownership typically fires coaches and general managers quickly after the season ends. A good example is the Atlanta Falcons, who fired their GM and head coach on January 4, immediately after their 19-17 win over the New Orleans Saints.
However, now that the Vikings have fired Adofo-Mensah somewhat late in the process, the field of potential candidates will have diminished.
That move is also strange because Adofo-Mensah had joined other staff during postseason evaluations and was evaluating players at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. While he was the most analytically driven GM hired in the NFL, the analytics on his four seasons’ worth of player acquisitions could have been his downfall.
The 2022 Draft
One of the most crucial jobs of the GM is to assemble the personnel needed to field the best product. The best and most cost-effective way to do so is through the draft.
That’s where Kwesi deserves most of the blame.
Adofo-Mensah stepped into the role after working in analytics and developing a Wall Street mindset — and having never coached the sport, let alone played. His ability to sign free agents seemed hit-or-miss, but his ability to correctly grade the players the team drafted was highly suspect.
It all started with his first draft class in 2022. The Vikings made 10 picks, but only Ty Chandler and Jalen Nailor remain in Minnesota. They drafted Chandler in the fifth round and Nailor in the sixth.
Adofo-Mensah’s first two picks, Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth, will play in the UFL this spring. Meanwhile, offensive lineman Vederian Lowe, Minnesota’s sixth-round pick in 2022, might play in the Super Bowl with the New England Patriots on Sunday.
The Vikings had some success in the draft with Nailor, Will Reichard, and Donovan Jackson. Still, most of their draft picks turned into fool’s gold. Jordan Addison has shone on the field, but his off-the-field activity has caused some fans to hope he’s traded away.
It’s harder to accurately judge Minnesota’s 2024 and 2025 classes because they may need more time to grow into their roles. However, while drafts and other acquisitions are crucial parts of a GM’s job, that couldn’t be the only reason they fired Adofo-Mensah.
Tension
It’s hard to fathom that there wasn’t some residual tension between him and ownership over his contract negotiations at the end of the 2024 season. After KOC signed early, ownership waited what seemed like forever to get his deal done. Was ownership unsure of him then? Did Adofo-Mensah do anything since then to further give ownership consternation?
His 2025 free-agency moves ended up being a complete flop, and he has a combined 172 starts between all players he had drafted, with not a single Pro-Bowl among them. Still, the fact that the team was willing to sign him to a long-term contract after 2024 spoke to ownership’s belief that he could right the ship.
As his “coolest story ever” turned into something one would tell around a campfire to scare Vikings fans, he compounded prior decisions and left fans struggling to comprehend what happened at the end of 2025.
These questions and more can’t be answered until KOC, the Wilfs, or someone else in the front office is willing to divulge the secrets to this divorce.
The Vikings have shown faith in their head coach and will move forward with the draft process with executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski as the interim GM.
The Vikings are choosing to take their time, be careful about their next GM, and wait until after the draft to decide. Until then, fans are left watching their quarterback from 2024 in the Super Bowl and wondering how their team decides how to make a playoff run next season.
