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Before the Vikings got back to .500 by defeating the Packers 24-10 on Sunday, General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said he received messages from multiple veteran players on the team who wanted to tell the boss, in so many words, not to sell at the trade deadline.
"'Kwes, we're gelling. We love this team. We love being here.'" Adofo-Mensah recalled Wednesday. "They didn't need to do that, but I love the relationship I have with those guys that they felt comfortable enough to reach out through different channels to say that. Obviously, won the game the way we did, and ultimately, I made the decision that we made to stand pat and keep going the way we're going."
The most telling moves Tuesday were the ones the Vikings didn't make, They did not bring in a long-term threat to quarterback Kirk Cousins, instead acquiring 28-year-old Joshua Dobbs, and they did not deal edge rusher Danielle Hunter, who remained in purple despite continued interest from other teams.
The Vikings got no such additional draft capital for the 29-year-old Hunter, whose 10 sacks and expiring contract are setting him up for a nice payday in March. Adofo-Mensah said he didn't see a path to playing meaningful games without players such as Hunter. He wouldn't divulge trade discussions.
"He's a talented pass rusher," Adofo-Mensah said. "He's leading the league in sacks, there's gonna be phone calls."The Vikings are trying to remain competitive without Cousins, who underwent successful surgery Wednesday morning. Adofo-Mensah said the Achilles injury added "a curveball" and "a little uncertainty" to the team's outlook at quarterback. The 35-year-old Cousins is also scheduled to be a free agent in March after playing what coach Kevin O'Connell called the best football of his career.
Adofo-Mensah singled out Cousins' past four games when asked if the quarterback's play had changed anything about the team's interest in re-signing him.
"Kirk played great," Adofo-Mensah said. "I think my want for Kirk to come back isn't just a me thing. It's a negotiation. You come together at the table, and you try and see if everything works together, and we'll have that dialogue when the time comes."
"All options are open as they were before the injury," he added.
There's also "a little uncertainty" about backup quarterback Nick Mullens' health, Adofo-Mensah said. Mullens, who has a back injury, is eligible to return from injured reserve next week, but O'Connell said they're just hopeful he'll come back at some point this season.
Dobbs, who started all eight of Arizona's games this season, gives the Vikings another experienced quarterback.
The Vikings personnel department had previously rated Dobbs highly. Adofo-Mensah had followed Dobbs since the 2017 draft, when he was doing research for the 49ers, and knows people in Cleveland, where Dobbs spent 2022 and 2023 training camps.
Dobbs was on the short list of Vikings' QB options, despite myriad suggestions.
"When you have a quarterback injury in the NFL, your phone becomes the most popular phone, I think, in the Minnesota area," Adofo-Mensah said. "A lot of people want to come here because they love Minnesota. A lot of people want to play for Kevin. A lot of people want to come be on this team and this offense. So, there were a lot of options. But again, this whole time we stuck to our guns — 'This is what we're trying to do. This is what we're trying to get to.' It kind of whittles it down to the number of options we actually, truthfully considered."
Receiver Justin Jefferson, who is eligible to return from injured reserve next week, participated in on-field physical rehab work with Vikings trainers before practice.
Adofo-Mensah, talking to reporters for the first time since Aug. 31, was asked why the team didn't sign Jefferson to a new contract before talks broke off by the Sept. 10 season opener. He said the remaining years on Jefferson's rookie deal, with the fifth-year option already picked up for 2024, were a factor.
"There's a reason they don't normally get done two years early," Adofo-Mensah said. "I'll kind of leave it at that. You can look at salary caps and contracts and new money and all that stuff. There's just reasons why it's harder to do it in those periods of time. But the dialogue was always super positive. We think he's the best receiver in the league, and we want him to be a Viking for a long time."
https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-vikings-gm-kwesi-adofo-mensah-nfl-trade-deadline-kirk-cousins-danielle-hunter/600316574/
"When you have a quarterback injury in the NFL, your phone becomes the most popular phone, I think, in the Minnesota area," Adofo-Mensah said. "A lot of people want to come here because they love Minnesota. A lot of people want to play for Kevin. A lot of people want to come be on this team and this offense. So, there were a lot of options. But again, this whole time we stuck to our guns — 'This is what we're trying to do. This is what we're trying to get to.' It kind of whittles it down to the number of options we actually, truthfully considered." - KAM
I believe this about this organization now: solid ownership, newer facilities, the coaching staff, great fanbase, etc. It has that reputation with players around the league now. Players and coaches DO want to come to Minnesota. Minneapolis/St Paul is a great northern metro area to raise families as well.
KAM and KOC both referenced the competitive rebuild, their sticking with it and how it limits their options being honest. The team obviously had gelled and turned a corner until Kirk's injury. If they can hit on a QBOTF in this upcoming Draft and secure Kirk for another season or two, they may end up accomplishing their goals after all. Even better if somehow, even though the odds are extremely low for it, Jaren Hall turns into that guy, they'll be even further ahead than planned. Having said that, I don't think they expect that or are planning for that contingency (and rightfully so). We'll find out how the plan shakes out.
Thoughtful interview. I like the way he thinks. No huge revelation, but just reading between the lines, it sounds like Hall is the starter, but they know throwing him into a game 6 months after he was drafted is not what the plan was, so Dobbs was brought in to back him up and play if the game proves too big for Hall. No pressure, kid.
https://twitter.com/Vikings/status/17197...94120?s=20
I can guarantee you that if the 49ers and Purdy continue to stumble and fizzle in the playoffs, they will come hard and heavy after Kirk Cousins this offseason. If it comes down to a bidding war, I think the Vikings lose that war
And as much as I like Kirk, my concern would be this with Kirk. He'll be 36 before the start of next season coming off a major injury. This is usually a recipe for more injuries and Kirk's taken a lot of hits over the years. I would hate to sign him for a truckload of guaranteed money, only to find out that the achillies was the beginning of the end and the injuries start to take over. He's a really good player but that's a huge roll of the dice on a big money extension
Quote: @supafreak84 said:
I can guarantee you that if the 49ers and Purdy continue to stumble and fizzle in the playoffs, they will come hard and heavy after Kirk Cousins this offseason. If it comes down to a bidding war, I think the Vikings lose that war
With what money? How can the 9ers have all those probowlers and afford Kirko?
Quote: @AGRforever said:
@ supafreak84 said:
I can guarantee you that if the 49ers and Purdy continue to stumble and fizzle in the playoffs, they will come hard and heavy after Kirk Cousins this offseason. If it comes down to a bidding war, I think the Vikings lose that war
With what money? How can the 9ers have all those probowlers and afford Kirko?
The cap is a myth and they have a quarterback on a rookie contract
Quote: @supafreak84 said:
@ AGRforever said:
@ supafreak84 said:
I can guarantee you that if the 49ers and Purdy continue to stumble and fizzle in the playoffs, they will come hard and heavy after Kirk Cousins this offseason. If it comes down to a bidding war, I think the Vikings lose that war
With what money? How can the 9ers have all those probowlers and afford Kirko?
The cap is a myth and they have a quarterback on a rookie contract
Myth isn't the right word, but for teams willing to sell the future it has proven to be pretty flexible.
Quote: @supafreak84 said:
@ AGRforever said:
@ supafreak84 said:
I can guarantee you that if the 49ers and Purdy continue to stumble and fizzle in the playoffs, they will come hard and heavy after Kirk Cousins this offseason. If it comes down to a bidding war, I think the Vikings lose that war
With what money? How can the 9ers have all those probowlers and afford Kirko?
The cap is a myth and they have a quarterback on a rookie contract
If the Vikings didn't owe Kirk and Hunter over $43 Million in dead cap next year, bringing both of them back would make sense but I don't see how they get around that obstacle and extend JJ, Darrisaw, and fill out the rest of the holes in the roster. Everything I'm hearing says they want Hunter back and he wants to be back so I expect that will definitely be a priority to get done. I think they will let the season play out before making any decisions on Cousins, and will only bring him back if it's a team friendly deal for a soon to be 36 year old coming off of an Achilles. If they wanted to extend Kirk and were willing to pay him the guaranteed money he and his Agent were demanding, then they would have signed him in the offseason when they had the opportunity. Everyone is saying all the right things at the moment, but ultimately it will come down to how much money are you willing to guarantee Kirk and if each party is aligned on that number. It will be exciting to see how this plays out the rest of the year. We will definitely see how creative KOC can be with this offense and the mobile QB's he has to work with.
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