The Vikings fired General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on Friday and owner Mark Wilf held a press conference to discuss the move later in the day.
Wilf’s opening statement echoed the team’s statement saying that the decision was made after a lengthy organizational review found that it was in the best interests of the team to move in a different direction. Wilf said that the “totality” of Adofo-Mensah’s four seasons with the team led to the call ahead of what he called a “critical offseason.”
Wilf returned to the big picture when he was asked about the role the team’s 2025 quarterback moves played in the dismissal. The Vikings did not re-sign Sam Darnold, who will start in the Super Bowl for Seattle, or Daniel Jones, who had the Colts in first place before tearing his Achilles, in order to go with 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy. McCarthy struggled on the field and with injuries, which led to Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer making starts during a 9-8 season.
“It’s not necessarily a fair thing to talk about any one decision and that’s the way we approach it,” Wilf said. “It’s a body of work. It’s a cumulative set of decisions. It’s four years of where we’ve been and we as ownership — and I know our fans feel it and our entire organization — feels we need to get to a better place.”
Head coach Kevin O’Connell talked about bringing in competition for McCarthy at his end of season press conference. Executive V.P. of football operations Rob Brzezinski will be leading the personnel department through free agency and the draft, so it will now fall on his shoulders to navigate bringing in that competition and addressing other needs on the roster for 2026.
