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Vikings Pull Off Stunner to End All Stunners
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- Vikings Pull Off Stunner to End All Stunners
Kirby Lee
The Minnesota Vikings — out of nowhere and terribly late on the NFL offseason calendar — fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on Friday, ending a four-year run that featured the Vikings' fifth-best win percentage in the NFL.
Minnesota's front office hierarchy just changed, and the fallout will be enormous.
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Capologist Rob Brzezinski will take over as the team's interim general manager, who is mostly known for his long-time financial magic , while Minnesota's brass apparently hires an Adofo-Mensah replacement after the draft.
Minnesota's Front Office Picture Just Flipped
The Vikings have changed everything.
Tennessee Titans general manager Ran Carthon speaks with Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah during a joint practice session in Eagan, Minnesota, on August 16, 2023, offering a glimpse of dialogue as the clubs prepared for evaluations and roster decisions ahead of the upcoming season. Mandatory Credit: © Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK.
Adofo-Mensah Fired
It's over for Adofo-Mensah. ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted , "Source: Vikings fired GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Throughout the season, there was talk about an underlying 'tension' in the Vikings' building in league circles. One league source said it had been 'ugly' in Minnesota. Then today, the Vikings fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah."
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The 33rd Team's Ari Meirov added , "Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was extended last year, but since the season ended, there's been chatter in league circles about a potential major shakeup in Minnesota. The simplest way to put it: the front office and coaching staff were not always on the same page."
Statement from the Wilfs
So, what's next? For starters, the Vikings won't have a new general manager until later in spring, an incredibly strange development because someone must conduct a full free agency and draft.
The Vikings posted this statement to social media:
Statement from Mark and Zygi Wilf: 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. 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.
Effective immediately, Executive Vice President of Football Operations Rob Brzezinski will lead our operations through the 2026 NFL Draft. Rob brings tremendous credibility and experience, understands our roster, and has the ability to build consensus and rely on the expertise of our personnel and coaches. After the draft, we intend to conduct a thorough search to identify our next general manager. 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.
Brzezinski is known for running the money in Minnesota; his player personnel background is unclear.
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Kevin O'Connell in Charge by Default?
While there's no evidence at the time of this article's publication, one must wonder if O'Connell is in charge during free agency and the draft. Who else would do it? The remnants of Adofo-Mensah's inner circle?
Minnesota extended O'Connell's contract one year ago, making him the first of the Adofo-Mensah-O'Connell pairing to get more years in the Twin Cities. Months later, the Wilfs extended Adofo-Mensah, almost with a quiet transaction.
The duo always insisted on a collaborative approach to their decision-making, and one of the franchise's greatest mysteries will remain: which man wanted J.J. McCarthy in the draft, and which man opted to let Sam Darnold depart in free agency? Darnold will play in the Super Bowl in nine days. His exodus now speaks like a smoking gun to Adofo-Mensah's termination.
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah stands alongside head coach Kevin O'Connell during the team's pre–training camp press conference, with July 22, 2025, marking the annual reset as leadership outlined expectations, roster priorities, and organizational direction before players reported to camp, while media attention focused on offseason planning across the league. Image Courtesy of YouTube.
Over a decade ago, the Vikings operated without a true general manager, relying on a so-called "Triangle of Authority" among ownership, the Vice President of Player Personnel ( Rick Spielman ), and the head coach (Brad Childress, Leslie Frazier). At least for a few months, the team could be back to that arrangement.
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Everything — Everything — Has Changed
Take everything you thought you knew about the Vikings' offseason, put it in a fire pit, and burn it. The game has changed.
McCarthy's future is wildly up in the air. The Vikings could trade for a quarterback like Kyler Murray and shoot for the stars in 2026. They could tear the roster to the ground and fundamentally rebuild. They could re-up with McCarthy and call it good.
Every proposed Vikings strategy for the 2026 offseason is now as mysterious as Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
Ultimately, viewing Adofo-Mensah's draft record tells all. He hit on 19% of draft picks, notably missing on these players:
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— Jaren Hall
— Kobe King
— Lewis Cine
— Ed Ingram
— Nick Muse
— Ty Chandler
— Jaquelin Roy
— Akayleb Evans
— Andrew Booth
— Vederian Lowe
— Brian Asamoah
— Esezi Otomewo
— Mekhi Blackmon
— DeWayne McBride
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah surveys the field during organized team activities at TCO Performance Center in Eagan, Minnesota, with July 27, 2022, capturing an early stage of his roster-building tenure as Minnesota evaluated personnel, implemented systems, and positioned the franchise for long-term flexibility through deliberate planning and draft capital management. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
These players worked out, at least to an extent:
— Jalen Nailor
— Dallas Turner
— Will Reichard
— Jordan Addison
— Levi Drake Rodriguez
And the verdict is out on these men:
— Jay Ward
— Tai Felton
— J.J. McCarthy
— Walter Rouse
— Michael Jurgens
— Donovan Jackson
— Gavin Bartholomew
— Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins
Thankfully, Adofo-Mensah left the Vikings with at least nine draft picks in 2026.
