The Minnesota Vikings terminated the employment of general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah after four seasons, the organization announced on Friday.
Owners Mark and Zygi Wilf issued a declaration Friday, stating that it was “in the paramount benefit for the organization” to part ways with Adofo-Mensah and that executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski would oversee the operational department until the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Upon the culmination of the draft, a quest for a successor general manager will commence.
Per Alec Lewis of The Athletic, this action was unforeseen, and despite recent “strain” within the corporate structure, the general manager’s dismissal occurred abruptly without prior indication.
Adofo-Mensah had agreed to a renewed multi-season contract to remain in Minnesota during May.
The Vikings secured postseason berths on two occasions since Adofo-Mensah’s hiring in 2022. They clinched the NFC North division title in his inaugural year and achieved a win-loss tally of 43-25 throughout his tenure.
The announcement follows the Vikings’ failure to qualify for the postseason this year with a 9-8 standing, and after Adofo-Mensah permitted Sam Darnold to depart as a free agent in order to allow 2024 first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy to assume the primary quarterbacking role.
That strategic choice proved unsuccessful as McCarthy contended with difficulties related to injury and inconsistency during his first full NFL campaign. Darnold, concurrently, achieved another consecutive season of over 4,000 passing yards in 2025 with 25 scoring plays and has guided the Seattle Seahawks to Super Bowl LX to compete against the New England Patriots.
The determination to favor McCarthy over Darnold was presented to Adofo-Mensah on Thursday, with the now-former general manager acknowledging some apprehension regarding the decision while affirming his continued understanding of its underlying rationale.
“One endeavors to avoid becoming entrenched in previous actions and believing they are perpetually correct; consequently, certain evenings involve waking and contemplating the circumstances,” he stated. “My inclination is to revisit the methodology and the rationale present at that juncture. While retrospectively judging based on outcomes is simpler, considering the situation as it existed then, I continue to grasp the motivations behind our decisions.”
“The outcomes perhaps did not unfold as we had hoped, yet in the final analysis, I believe we had opportunities to perform more effectively in specific areas. Without singling out any specific athlete, the focus was on enhancing overall execution—understanding the roster’s composition, playing styles, and experience levels, and assembling a superior collective of individuals within that unit; that was likely my primary concern.”
McCarthy did not participate in his initial season in 2024 after suffering a torn meniscus in his right knee during the preseason. That created an opportunity for Darnold, who proceeded to pass for a personal best of 4,319 yards and 35 scoring plays as the Vikings concluded with a 14-3 record before suffering a loss in the wild-card round.
