The Minnesota Vikings shocked the NFL world on Friday with the sudden dismissal of GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. The move — made three weeks after the Vikings’ season ended — came on the heels of Senior Bowl week, where Adofo-Mensah was chatting with agents and scouts while watching some of the top NFL draft prospects work out in Mobile, Alabama.
“I’m not shocked that he was let go,” one Vikings source said, via The Athletic’s Alec Lewis and Dianna Russini. “I’m just shocked at the timing.”
The timing is the most shocking part of this entire saga. Most coach or front office firings occur just after the regular season ends, if not earlier, in some cases. Waiting three weeks to make a change is both bizarre and indicates a significant shift from ownership.
“This is wild,” another Vikings source told Lewis and Russini. “We all thought the time passed and they decided to keep him. Something changed.”
It doesn’t help that Adofo-Mensah is taking the fall for letting QB Sam Darnold walk out of the building. In 2024, the Vikings signed Darnold to a one-year deal to be a bridge starter while they let rookie first-round QB J.J. McCarthy learn on the bench for a while. McCarthy tore his meniscus in the preseason while Darnold went on to lead Minnesota to a 14-3 season while throwing for over 4,300 yards.
After the season, the Vikings let Darnold walk while choosing to go all-in on McCarthy. Now, Darnold is playing for Seattle in the Super Bowl, while Minnesota sits at home and watches. And Adofo-Mensah is out of a job.
Former Minnesota Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s Draft Record is Quite Poor
GettyINGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 23: (L-R) President Mark Wilf and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah of the Minnesota Vikings look onprior to the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on October 23, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
In their article in The Athletic, Lewis and Russini mention that in his four seasons with the team, only four picks Adofo-Mensah made are cemented starters for the future in Minnesota. They are likely referring to WR Jordan Addison, LG Donovan Jackson, ED Dallas Turner, and K Will Reichard. You could even throw in WR Jalen Nailor — that’s still a rough hit rate, especially with one of those players being a kicker.
The Vikings have had a decent hit rate in free agency, but poor drafting on that scale over four years is tough to overcome. Adofo-Mensah didn’t come up through the usual scouting ranks. He was a wall-street investor before beginning his NFL career with the Browns in analytics. Many of his controversial decision were made with the belief that over time, he was making the right choices to improve the roster and the Vikings’ chances of winning. Traditional football minds disagreed.
Because he didn’t have a traditional rise to his general manager position, Adofo-Mensah was often at odds with the football “old heads” in the building and even his habits were criticized. He took two weeks of paternity leave for the birth of his son, working remotely during Vikings’ training camp.
For most, that’s a healthy work-life balance and a credit to his character. For those steeped in a football culture of workaholics and never-ending personal sacrifices for team and career success, it’s a sign that he wasn’t committed enough.
Former Minnesota Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Was Locked in a Power Struggle with the Coaching Staff
One other thing that Lewis and Russini note in their piece is how involved the coaching staff got after Adofo-Mensah’s poor 2022 draft. They showed up “en masse” to spring all-star games and workouts, openly discussing how they wanted to “guard” against a repeat draft debacle. Relations were increasingly tense.
For the Vikings’ ownership, it seems the coaching staff won this power struggle. Minnesota HC Kevin O’Connell is widely respected by the league and will almost certainly have more decision-making power now. It remains to be seen if the Vikings made the right choice.
Insiders Share Details on What Led to ‘Wild’ Firing of GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah