Why the Vikings may have fired GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah: J.J. McCarthy gamble, draft misses and cap trouble
The surprising move comes just eight months after Adofo-Mensah signed an extension
•
4 min read
The Minnesota Vikings fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on Friday, just eight months after signing him to a multi-year contract extension.
"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," co-owners Mark and Zygi Wilf said in a statement. "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."
Executive Vice President of Football Operations Rob Brzezinski will oversee the Vikings' front-office operations through the 2026 NFL Draft, after which the team will begin its search for a new general manager.
"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," the Wilfs said. "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."
The move came as a shock around the NFL, as the Vikings signed Adofo-Mensah to an extension in May after Minnesota's 14-3 campaign in 2024. The Vikings took a step back in 2025, going 9-8 and missing the playoffs after opting not to re-sign Sam Darnold.
Minnesota instead chose to move forward with 2024 first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who had injury problems and struggled, as many young quarterbacks do, when he was healthy. Darnold, meanwhile, has led the Seattle Seahawks to Super Bowl LX, where they are the favorites to hoist the Lombardi Trophy against the New England Patriots.
Why the Vikings fired Adofo-Mensah
In the four years with Adofo-Mensah as general manager, the Vikings went 43-25 with a pair of playoff appearances. His work in building the 2024 team was widely praised, but his draft record and the Vikings' cap sheet spelled trouble going into 2026.
In four drafts with Adofo-Mensah at the helm, the Vikings struggled to acquire the impact players they hoped for. His five first-round picks in that span -- Lewis Cine, Jordan Addison, McCarthy, Dallas Turner and Donovan Jackson -- have produced mixed results.
Cine was cut after two seasons, Jackson anchored an underwhelming offensive line this year, and Addison has struggled to stay on the field because of injuries and off-field issues. Turner emerged as a bright spot with eight sacks, but the biggest issue for Adofo-Mensah was going all-in on McCarthy.
The Vikings traded up to take McCarthy in the 2024 draft, giving up a pair of mid-round picks to jump from No. 11 to No. 10 overall. The plan was always for Darnold to serve as a bridge to McCarthy -- who missed his rookie season with a knee injury -- but when he led Minnesota to a 14-3 record, the Vikings had to give the decision serious thought.
They ultimately stuck with the plan and turned things over to McCarthy, who struggled in 10 games this season. He completed 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his first year as a starter. While the Vikings went 6-4 with McCarthy under center, much of their success hinged on an elite (and expensive) defense.
That's what made choosing McCarthy over Darnold so controversial. The Vikings had a defense ready to contend now, but even the most optimistic view of McCarthy involved a young quarterback with considerable talent who would need time to reach his potential. That put the offense and defense on different timelines, and the result was a 9-8 season.
Now Minnesota enters 2026 with a cluttered cap sheet, nearly $49 million over the limit, per Over the Cap. Only the Kansas City Chiefs face a more dire cap situation, and the next Vikings GM will have a tall order in figuring out how best to proceed. Whoever takes over will be tasked with getting Minnesota back into the hunt in the highly competitive NFC North, where the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers all have playoff aspirations for 2026. And they'll have to do it without many clear avenues to upgrade the roster and likely needing to shed money.
The McCarthy decision now facing Minnesota's next GM
A new regime in Minnesota could mean changes at quarterback sooner rather than later. We'll find out exactly how much belief coach Kevin O'Connell has in McCarthy, as Adofo-Mensah was clearly a strong believer in the young quarterback. A new GM, however, won't have the same ties to him.
As such, one of the first major evaluations for whoever steps into the general manager role will be whether they view McCarthy as the franchise quarterback of the future.
Given the Vikings' cap situation, it wouldn't be surprising if McCarthy gets another year to show what he can do. Minnesota likely won't be in the market for a high-priced free agent, and this year's draft class isn't highly regarded beyond Fernando Mendoza, who is the favorite to go No. 1 to the Raiders. Without a clear path to a replacement, a new Vikings GM may opt for an evaluation year with McCarthy.
The 2026 season was always going to be important for McCarthy's development, but with a new general manager in place who didn't draft him, it will be even more critical. He won't just need to show growth -- he'll need to take a major leap into becoming a quality starter if he wants to keep the job long-term.
