Compared to the rest of the NFL, the Minnesota Vikings were having a fairly quiet start to the offseason. That was until they shockingly fired their general manager, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, from seemingly out of nowhere last week. Now, the Vikings will have to begin looking for a proper replacement for Adofo-Mensah before the offseason really gets underway.
One of the main reasons Adofo-Mensah’s firing was so surprising was that he had just signed a contract extension with Minnesota last offseason. According to a recent report, though, Adofo-Mensah’s decision to take a two-week paternity leave during training camp last summer could have factored into the decision to move on from him. The insider who reported this news, Dianna Russini of The Athletic, recently took a second to clear the air on these rumors, though.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Paternity Leave Report Receives Update
But it’s important to note that the Minnesota Vikings supported him through the entire process and did not hold it against him in any way.
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After spending time working for the San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns’ front offices, Adofo-Mensah was hired to be the Vikings’ general manager in 2022. While the team enjoyed some success during his time in charge, many of the players contributing to the team were brought to town before Adofo-Mensah’s arrival.
And yet, that doesn’t make the decision any less surprising. On paper, if Minnesota could figure out the quarterback position, it could very well be a playoff contender for the foreseeable future. However, Adofo-Mensah’s decision to let Sam Darnold walk in free agency last offseason and hand the keys to the offense over to J.J. McCarthy may have played a role in the team’s decision to move on from him.
Another surprising report emerged revealing that Adofo-Mensah took two weeks of paternity leave during training camp, which is a move rarely seen in the NFL. Many folks began bashing the Vikings for allegedly taking this into account when moving on from their general manager, but Russini revealed that the team supported Adofo-Mensah during this time, even though the rest of the league was shocked by his decision.
“There’s been a lot of conversation around Kwesi Adofo-Mensah taking paternity leave, largely because it’s still rare in the NFL,” Russini wrote in a post on X. “But it’s important to note that the Minnesota Vikings supported him through the entire process and did not hold it against him in any way. This was a storyline outside of the building, not inside it.”
Vikings Must Move Quickly to Find Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s Replacement
GettyFormer Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
Whatever the reason may be for Adofo-Mensah’s firing, it’s clear that the Vikings have to move quickly to find his replacement. In a perfect world, the team wouldn’t have waited this long to decide to cut ties with Adofo-Mensah, because now they are behind the eight-ball when it comes to identifying potential candidates to come in and replace him.
The offseason is still young, though, and chances are Minnesota wouldn’t have made this move if it didn’t feel confident in its ability to hire a new general manager. With the paternity leave report now having been cleared up, all eyes will be on the Vikings to see who they target as their new general manager now that Adofo-Mensah is gone.
Dianna Russini Clarifies Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Paternity Leave Report Amid Vikings Controversy