Any sober reading of the Vikings’ four-year draft history under Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, their former general manager, leaves little surprise that he was fired Friday, Jan. 30.
There were simply too many misses relative to the rest of the NFL (and particularly the NFC North), which meant the Vikings needed to spend in free agency to cover for those mistakes.
The result is an aging roster with too many holes and questions. Trusting Adofo-Mensah to oversee another draft, one in which the Vikings hold several premium picks, might set the franchise back even further.
The most notable pick that came on Adofo-Mensah’s watch, of course, was the selection of QB J.J. McCarthy at No. 10 overall in 2024.
We might never know the full extent of the Vikings’ internal QB debates in the last two years, but we do know their decisions led to disaster in 2025 — something Patrick Reusse and I analyzed on Monday’s Daily Delivery podcast.
And this much seems clear now that Adofo-Mensah is gone and head coach Kevin O’Connell is still here: We’re about to find out what KOC really thinks of McCarthy.
Let’s get into that and more in today’s 10 things to know:
- There was certainly some level of consensus that led to the Vikings selecting McCarthy in 2024. You don’t give an offensive-minded head coach called the “quarterback whisperer” a QB with whom he doesn’t believe he can win.
- The Vikings were inadequately prepared for what proved to be McCarthy’s major struggles (both playing-wise and staying healthy) in 2025. If that was motivated by finances and wanting to maximize cap flexibility on McCarthy’s cheap contract, that could be a Kwesi decision that created tension with O’Connell and others.
- With Adofo-Mensah gone, we should find out what O’Connell really thinks of McCarthy’s potential in 2026 and beyond. There will be reputational pressure to turn things around after the 2025 disaster, but there won’t be the pressure to justify a draft pick since the GM whose name is attached to the choice is gone. A big swing away from McCarthy — either with a trade for an established franchise QB, a multiyear deal for a potential starter or even drafting a new QB in 2026 — would be a clear sign. Even bringing in a potential bridge QB as true competition for the No. 1 job would be an indicator.
- If the Vikings were being honest with themselves, the best course of action in 2026 would be to hit the brakes instead of the gas. They need to give what is anticipated to be a nine-pick draft class plenty of playing time, which could come with growing pains. They need to clear enough cap space to be truly competitive in 2027 instead of just functional in 2026. And they desperately need to know by the end of the season what their long-term QB plan is. They could still be a playoff team in this scenario, but short-term success wouldn’t be the priority.
- Whether the Wilf family will create space for patience is another issue. They want to be competitive every year, a noble goal that sometimes fights against a bigger-picture vision. “With this structure, we have an urgency to create a winning football team and establish sustainable success for our fans,” Mark Wilf said on Friday.
- There was plenty said and left unsaid Friday in the other big news of Derek Falvey’s departure from the Twins. I like new controlling owner Tom Pohlad’s straightforward style, but I think he might regret this quote eventually: “At some point, I’d love to get off this payroll thing for a second. Let’s judge the success of this year on wins and losses, and on whether we’re playing meaningful baseball in September.”
- Falvey looked very relaxed Friday as he answered questions about leaving his role. The most surreal moment came when news of Adofo-Mensah being fired came as we were talking to Falvey over Zoom.
- In case you missed it, Bobby Nightengale and I did an emergency Friday podcast breaking down the Twins news.
- The regular Friday show was on Gophers men’s hockey and their struggles. Then they went out and swept Wisconsin over the weekend.
- Tuesday’s podcast will feature Star Tribune Vikings writer Andrew Krammer as we dive deeper into what comes next.
