Kwesi Fired...

Schefter: “there’s a lot that is going to come out” referring to the “tensions.”

hogjowlsjohnny wrote:
I read that as KOC will have a much bigger role in player acquisition.

he can barely handle the role he has now,  i think he needs to give up play calling and offensive control and focus on being a HC and game manager,  but now this is added to his plate,  I am expecting a total shit show.

hogjowlsjohnny wrote:
I read that as KOC will have a much bigger role in player acquisition.

Which suggests he didn't already have a big role, which would surprise me if true.

was there tension with Flores and kwesi?

Word on National Sports Radio is 85% of the decision made today by the owners traces to the QB decision of the past off-season
Outside of that, ownership was disappointed and lost patience with the lack of team post-season impact over last 4 years.
NFL is a cold biz and the Wilfs did a shitty thing firing KAM while he was down in Mobile. Could have let KAM hit the street b4 Mobile, or wait till he was back from the combine Sunday or Monday

JimmyinSD wrote:

he can barely handle the role he has now,  i think he needs to give up play calling and offensive control and focus on being a HC and game manager,  but now this is added to his plate,  I am expecting a total shit show.

Yeah this seems like a legitimate concern. Sean McVay "almost retired" at like 35 one year because he was so burnt out.

A Big Tell?:
Adofo-Mensah’s firing could trigger further changes in the front office, where assistant GM Ryan Grigson will not be in charge of the draft.

A Name to Watch:
Broncos General Manager George Paton, the Vikings’ longtime assistant GM under Spielman, has a contract that reportedly expires after the draft; his long-standing relationship with the Wilfs could make him a name to watch in the Vikings GM search.

STRIB

StickierBuns wrote:
lmao, have you seen all the rumors and ridiculous crap on X from 'sources' right now? Its tremendous. JJM was almost traded to the Raiders....KOC didn't think JJ was ready to play this year....KAM forced KOC's hand in every decision, etc. Hilarious. All the grifters and frauds are out in full force, spreading the manure. All this inside info they knew but for some reason waited until NOW to release! ;)

A lotta spin on behalf of KOC.  Yet he was the guy who confidently said JJM was the franchise back in 2024 camp.  Not that I take a lot of what he says as real because he's such a politician.  Played JJM like one series in 2025 camp because he was so... ready to go?  But now the spin is KOC didn't think he was ready?   WTF.

purplefaithful wrote:
A Big Tell?: Adofo-Mensah’s firing could trigger further changes in the front office, where assistant GM Ryan Grigson will not be in charge of the draft.

A Name to Watch:
Broncos General Manager George Paton, the Vikings’ longtime assistant GM under Spielman, has a contract that reportedly expires after the draft; his long-standing relationship with the Wilfs could make him a name to watch in the Vikings GM search.

STRIB

Well there's someone who's not afraid to make a big, bold move at QB. And he almost lost his job because of it. Referring of course to the Russell Wilson decision. But everyone makes mistakes. The good ones recover and the Broncos turned things around quickly after that massive, debilitating move. 

It's all about the QB. It's ALL about the QB. Look what happened to the Broncos, Seahawks and Patriots when they got the QB right.

MaroonBells wrote:

Well there's someone who's not afraid to make a big, bold move at QB. And he almost lost his job because of it. Referring of course to the Russell Wilson decision. But everyone makes mistakes. The good ones recover and the Broncos turned things around quickly after that massive, debilitating move. 

It's all about the QB. It's ALL about the QB. Look what happened to the Broncos, Seahawks and Patriots when they got the QB right.

The Broncos also underwent a complete system/coaching change (albeit to one I'd swear into hell of for a dime)...

...Seahawks have a young, hungry defense and a peaking rushing offense along with the passing game...

...and the Patriots had to sink to brutal lows in 2024 before re-emerging.

It was more than just the QB in each case, and it always is.

Five potential candidates to be next Vikings GM
Story by Colton Edwards, Yardbarker • 1h •
2 min read

The Minnesota Vikings fired GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on Friday after four seasons.

The team has appointed longtime executive Rob Brzezinski as interim GM through the 2026 NFL Draft, after which it will conduct a full search for a permanent replacement.

Here are five potential candidates for the job:

Alec Halaby | Philadelphia Eagles Assistant GM
Halaby has been with one organization during his career. He's quickly risen up the charts for the Eagles. He has interviewed for multiple general manager roles, including the New York Jets in 2025 and, more recently, the Miami Dolphins. The Eagles' pedigree under Howie Roseman makes him a premium target for teams seeking proven roster-builders.

Ray Agnew | Detroit Lions Assistant GM
Agnew is a well-respected name in the industry, and with his experience in the NFL North, he's one worth watching. He's noted for contributions to Detroit's recent success, recurring in hot-name lists for his scouting background.

Ed Dodds | Indianapolis Colts Assistant GM
Dodds has become a frequent name in almost every general manager search. He has been the Colts' assistant general manager since 2018, known for his veteran experience in player evaluation.

John McKay | Los Angeles Rams Assistant GM
McKay is likely to be a successful general manager in the long term when his time comes. He has been with the Rams for 10 seasons, helping foster their growing culture and constant staff turnover.

Mike Greenberg | Tampa Bay Buccaneers Assistant GM
Could this finally be the opportunity and year that Greenberg leaves the Bucs for a general manager position? He possesses experience in all of the above, from player evaluation to salary cap navigation, contract work and more.

ArizonaViking wrote:
Five potential candidates to be next Vikings GM Story by Colton Edwards, Yardbarker • 1h • 2 min read

The Minnesota Vikings fired GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on Friday after four seasons.

The team has appointed longtime executive Rob Brzezinski as interim GM through the 2026 NFL Draft, after which it will conduct a full search for a permanent replacement.

Here are five potential candidates for the job:

Alec Halaby | Philadelphia Eagles Assistant GM
Halaby has been with one organization during his career. He's quickly risen up the charts for the Eagles. He has interviewed for multiple general manager roles, including the New York Jets in 2025 and, more recently, the Miami Dolphins. The Eagles' pedigree under Howie Roseman makes him a premium target for teams seeking proven roster-builders.

Ray Agnew | Detroit Lions Assistant GM
Agnew is a well-respected name in the industry, and with his experience in the NFL North, he's one worth watching. He's noted for contributions to Detroit's recent success, recurring in hot-name lists for his scouting background.

Ed Dodds | Indianapolis Colts Assistant GM
Dodds has become a frequent name in almost every general manager search. He has been the Colts' assistant general manager since 2018, known for his veteran experience in player evaluation.

John McKay | Los Angeles Rams Assistant GM
McKay is likely to be a successful general manager in the long term when his time comes. He has been with the Rams for 10 seasons, helping foster their growing culture and constant staff turnover. 

Mike Greenberg | Tampa Bay Buccaneers Assistant GM
Could this finally be the opportunity and year that Greenberg leaves the Bucs for a general manager position? He possesses experience in all of the above, from player evaluation to salary cap navigation, contract work and more.

My top 2 from that list (in order) would be:

McKay
Greenberg

comet52 wrote:

A lotta spin on behalf of KOC.  Yet he was the guy who confidently said JJM was the franchise back in 2024 camp.  Not that I take a lot of what he says as real because he's such a politician.  Played JJM like one series in 2025 camp because he was so... ready to go?  But now the spin is KOC didn't think he was ready?   WTF.

Saying he is the Franchise does not mean he is ready to play.    Secondly, I agree on the lack of playing time in 2025 pre season but what was the reason for that?

Chuckf wrote:

Saying he is the Franchise does not mean he is ready to play.    Secondly, I agree on the lack of playing time in 2025 pre season but what was the reason for that?

I'm not sure the NFL has a science based formula on how to play starters in the PS anymore. 

If they're putting McCarthy out there in PS games beyond a series or 2? Then 1st team OL is out there, maybe some 2nd team right along with him.

I'm not declaring (with conviction) thats the right way to go, but I strongly suspect thats how they'd approach it.

MaroonBells wrote:
Schefter: “there’s a lot that is going to come out” referring to the “tensions.”

That’s why we’re here. Love the soap opera.

Vikings ownership tried something unorthodox, something so out-of-the-blue that it was either going to work brilliantly or land with a thud. Hiring a former Wall Street broker to oversee football operations for an NFL team offered no middle ground.

The answer came Friday, Jan. 30, in an announcement that was stunning in timing but not in practicality.

The Vikings fired General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah after four seasons and no playoff wins, and only eight months after giving him a multiyear extension.

Co-owner Mark Wilf offered mostly generalities about the decision but noted his family did not feel “comfortable” or “confident” keeping Adofo-Mensah in his post.

“We have an urgency to create a winning football team,” Wilf said.

The Vikings’ owners often spoke admirably about Adofo-Mensah’s spirit of collaboration. That’s all well and good, but results are ultimately what matters.

Adofo-Mensah’s résumé as a talent evaluator and roster architect simply included too many draft mistakes. The scarcity of true impact players acquired via the draft forced the organization to rely heavily on free agency to fill holes, which is neither an ideal nor sustainable blueprint because it’s expensive and the roster skews older.

What’s more, somebody had to answer for a 2025 season that missed the mark by a mile.

The Wilfs didn’t become billionaires by being bad at business. They must have felt like they were sold a lemon.

Adofo-Mensah’s plan compelled ownership to commit more than $300 million to free agents last offseason under the premise that the team would be equipped to contend.

Not only did the Vikings fail to make the playoffs, Adofo-Mensah miscalculated the quarterback situation, along with head coach Kevin O’Connell, assuming O’Connell had a voice in the dynamics of that position.

The Wilfs watched Sam Darnold lead the Vikings to 14 wins and a playoff berth last season. The front office opted to let Darnold walk, whiffed on re-signing Daniel Jones as a bridge quarterback and put the offense in J.J. McCarthy’s hands when he clearly needed more development time.

Wilf said that ownership evaluated Adofo-Mensah’s entire tenure and that his dismissal was not tied to “any one decision or move.”

Even so, the sight of Darnold celebrating a trip to the Super Bowl with the Seahawks after a sensational performance in the NFC title game Jan. 25 served as one final kick to the britches. It was an embarrassing look for the organization.

Adofo-Mensah was always viewed as an outsider infiltrating the NFL’s insulated world. He didn’t fit the profile of a “football guy.” That was never going to be an easy hurdle to clear when surrounded by coaches and scouts who have sacrificed and invested their entire lives to reach that career pinnacle.

Rumors of tension between the front office and coaching staff behind the scenes are being reported, but nothing ever spilled into public view. Wilf was asked multiple questions about whether owners found discord between Adofo-Mensah and the coaching staff. He called the firing “100 percent an ownership decision.”

“No one was suggesting, ‘Kwesi this or Kwesi that,’ ” Wilf said. “We are in touch with everyone in the building, sensing the dynamic, how people work together. It’s a good collaborative situation. People get along here. It’s strictly a professional decision on where we think the dynamic was best going forward. Yes, we got input from everybody, but nobody said, ‘Hey, you’ve got to fire.’ As ownership, we said, ‘We’re not satisfied, we need to be better as an organization, and this is the direction we have to go.’ ”

Protracted contract negotiations between ownership and Adofo-Mensah last offseason gave the impression that something was amiss. O’Connell signed a multiyear extension days after the Vikings’ playoff loss to the Rams. Adofo-Mensah downplayed the absence of news in his own negotiations as months passed, but the optics invited skepticism that not everything and everyone were aligned.

The timing of his firing is odd given the Vikings played their final game on Jan. 4. Wilf mentioned being methodical in conducting a season-ending analysis, but the decision can be boiled down to a simple thought: Adofo-Mensah couldn’t be trusted to oversee another draft. A very important draft considering the number of picks the Vikings have and their need to inject young impact players into the roster.

One of Adofo-Mensah’s first moves as GM became a harbinger that defined his tenure. Overseeing his first draft in 2022, he traded back 20 spots to select Georgia safety Lewis Cine with the final pick in the first round.

Not only did Adofo-Mensah make a trade with a division foe (Detroit), he passed up the chance to take Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton, who has become a star, in favor of Cine, who is now playing in the UFL.

As first (and last) impressions go, that one leaves a sour taste.

STRIB

MaroonBells wrote:
Florio's a pinhead, and wrong more than he's right, but for what it's worth...

The Purple Persuasion@TPPSkol
There it is! Mike Florio saying Kevin O'Connell tried warning the Vikings FO J.J. McCarthy wasn't ready.

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah didn't listen... and now he is FIRED.

"This was rooted in, if not driven by, the ill fated QB decision of 2025. This tells us Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wanted what they got. J.J. McCarthy with journeyman backups and that O’Connell was cautioning against it. He was the guy saying this isn’t going to work”.

This makes sense.  I heard in the off-season that KOC was willing to put his career on the line for Sam Darnold running it back with us to give JJ McCarthy more time after missing all his rookie season. KOC was overruled since the FO wanted to proceed with a QB on a rookie contract.

As far as tensions go... Grigson is an alpha but not a great talent evaluator IMO. I'm sure his style and Kwesi clashed. Then look at the relationship between Assistant HC Pettine and Flores. Oil and water. I'm sure these relationships are what insiders are referring to with "tension" in the organization.

Kwesi butchered the draft in 2022 ,he'd been playing from behind ever since.

Free agency class of 2024 helped but the draft whiffs and the back up QB situation 2025 cooked him.

The timing of all this is deliberate, so what's the advantage?

I read an article a couple of days ago (can't remember where to be honest) where Kwesi was being interviewed and was asked about his thoughts on Darnold being the starting QB in the Super Bowl and his response was pretty nonchalant. Instead of complimenting Darnold on a great season, he said something along the lines of 'you make plans based on what you visualise and sometimes those plans just don't work out as you thought they would'. I didn't really think much of the article, but now after his being fired (which I am glad happened), it is clear that running JJ out with no clear back-up plan and cutting ties with Darnold was mostly or solely his plan, and it backfired. The way it was written sure seemed to imply, a kinda of, 'oh well, it just didn't work out there' attitude with no gravitas. Some other things are making sense now in hindsight, like KOC coming out and saying, after a long stint on the bench with an "injury", when JJ came back, he suddenly had "footwork" issues that needed to be corrected. Most coaches it seems, want their young QB's to get game time experience to shorten the learning curve and let them see if the guy has "it" or not. It seemed like JJ was wrapped in bubble wrap most of the season. I am not a big fan of JJ to date, but to be fair, more time (game experience) is needed. I do wish he would ditch the lame "9" alter-ego. This isn't high school ball. I digress, I was shocked when the Wilf's extended Kwesi, but happy to see that despite the extension, they had seen enough and reversed to make the right decision. Grigson should be next. Sounds like we will be hearing more soon on all of this drama, but count me happy that at least he is done with the Vikings.

I am listening to this press conference and something feels off to me. KAM is the scapegoat for now but now KOC has no cover whatsoever. It's time to put up or shut up