Certain phrases tend to stick with people, and Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah might never fully escape the idea of a “competitive rebuild” that he espoused shortly after being hired in 2022.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, hired during the same cycle, has more phrases to choose from, but this one tends to stand out: “Organizations fail young quarterbacks before young quarterbacks fail organizations.”
Those two ideas have shaped a lot of what the Vikings have tried to do from a roster building and competitive standpoint.
For the first three years of the KOC/KAM era, it was a largely successful formula. They turned over the roster, realigned cap space and drafted their quarterback of the future while winning 34 regular-season games.
This year figured to be more of the same, with J.J. McCarthy taking over at quarterback while surrounded by a core of veterans who would make his transition easier.
They relied on free agency to bolster their roster for a second consecutive year after having huge success going that route a year ago.
But seven games into the season, the plan is falling apart — as Patrick Reusse and I talked about on Monday’s Daily Delivery podcast discussion of several Minnesota teams that are struggling right now.
So where do the Vikings go from here? Let’s get into that at the start of today’s 10 things to know.
