Vikings part ways with GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah following playoff disappointment

Minnesota Vikings Part Ways with General Manager

The Minnesota Vikings will not be participating in the NFL playoffs for the second time in four years. Despite finishing the 2025 season with a 9-8 record, significant changes are underway for the team. On Friday, the Vikings’ owners, Gigi and Mark Wilf, announced a major decision.

They stated that the organization has decided to move on from general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. In their announcement, they shared, “After careful consideration following our post-season organizational meetings over the past few weeks, we believe it’s in the best interest of the team to seek new leadership in football operations. These decisions are always tough, and we genuinely thank Kwesi for his contributions over the past four years. We wish him and his family well.”

In the interim, Rob Brzezinski, who is the Vikings’ executive vice president of football operations, will take charge of the front office leading up to the NFL Draft in April. Following the draft, the team will begin the search for a permanent general manager.

Adofo-Mensah addressed the media at the season-ending press conference on January 13 and was actively involved in typical general manager duties just this week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Interestingly, just seven months prior, the Vikings had extended Adofo-Mensah’s contract.

While Adofo-Mensah is credited with building competitive rosters during three out of his four seasons as GM, his draft decisions have faced criticism. In particular, selecting quarterback JJ McCarthy in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft has drawn scrutiny due to injuries and inconsistent performance affecting his effectiveness.

From 2022 to 2025, the Vikings struggled to develop any players into Pro Bowl talents, joining a small group of NFL teams unable to achieve that milestone.

Adofo-Mensah took over the role of general manager from Rick Spielman, who was let go in 2022 after several years with the franchise. Prior to his tenure with the Vikings, Adofo-Mensah worked in analytics with the San Francisco 49ers and was vice president of football operations with the Cleveland Browns.