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Vikings GM Fired for Turning Down Blockbuster Trade?
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- Vikings GM Fired for Turning Down Blockbuster Trade?
Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
On Friday the Minnesota Vikings dropped a bomb in the form of firing general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah . There wasn't a significant amount of shock regarding the move, but the timing of it was curious to say the least. Now without a new general manager through the NFL Draft, the franchise will look to find a better path forward.
Adofo-Mensah put together a disappointing track record when it came to the usage of his draft picks. He also protected a handful of picks that he'll never get a chance to use. Nearly pulling off a Drake Maye trade, that may have been the schism he could never recover from.
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Drake Maye should have been a Minnesota Viking
The year is 2024 and the month is April. The Minnesota Vikings wanted a first round quarterback and his name was Drake Maye. Of course they needed to jump into the top three of the draft to pull that off. I have reported that being the case plenty , but Kwesi Adofo-Mensah stopped short of fulfilling Kevin O'Connell's request.
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Correct.
— Daniel Rotman (@daniel_rotman15) January 30, 2026
Confirmed by Patriots reporter Daniel Rotman (formerly PFF), there now is a second level of public validity to the sourcing.
Kevin O'Connell can be called a QB whisperer after what he did for and with Sam Darnold . He's not a miracle worker though, and that's what Adofo-Mensah wanted him to be for J.J. McCarthy .
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The one-year deal with Darnold proved that O'Connell was capable of providing an infrastructure for talent to succeed. McCarthy represented a project though, and that's why the Vikings pursued Daniel Jones so significantly.
According to a source, the Minnesota Vikings had Drake Maye believing he would land in purple the night before the 2024 NFL Draft. Owning the third overall pick, and knowing that Minnesota was coming to get the guy they'd take, the New England Patriots asked for the moon. First round picks well into the future were part of the plan, and the final piece of compensation saw Adofo-Mensah hang up the phone.
Despite knowing his coach wanted Maye, Adofo-Mensah tried to protect a future that he no longer has a say in. Instead, the Vikings pivoted (incorrectly) to McCarthy and his learning curve was going to be immense even before the season-ending knee injury.
I don't have insight into how real a desire was to grab Bo Nix , but he just missed out on competing with New England for a Super Bowl because of an injury. Being an "old" college prospect was largely the only reason to detract from his performance, and Minnesota would love to have him as well now.
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MN Vikings watching a failed Super Bowl
On Sunday February 8, the Minnesota Vikings will join a nation watching Super Bowl LX. This one sting a bit differently though. Sam Darnold is the Seattle Seahawks starter, and Maye has led the Patriots there in year two.
After using draft capital on McCarthy, it's understandable that Adofo-Mensah couldn't pay Darnold on a long-term deal. The proposed one-year contract didn't get it done though, and he is now proving how wrong Minnesota may have been to heavily weigh his final two games.
Drake Maye holding the AFC Championship trophy while getting MVP chants.
Doesn't get much better than that 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/S1jkwQTfN6— NFL (@NFL) January 25, 2026
Drake Maye led the league with a 72.0% completion rate this season, and owned a 31/8 TD/INT ratio. Mike Vrabel has a superstar youngster vying for an MVP, and the 23-year-old might add a new ring to his finger in the process.
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Meanwhile, the Vikings still have no clarity at quarterback , and the guy who protected picks could be filing for unemployment.
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