Several weeks after their 2025 NFL campaign was brought to a halt, the Minnesota Vikings have decided to relieve general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah of his duties.

The timing of the announcement is odd, not just because it comes three weeks into the postseason, but because the Vikings only signed Adofo-Mensah to a ‘multiyear contract extension’ at the end of May 2025. The GM was entering the final stanza of a four-year contract signed upon his hiring in January 2022, and appeared to locked up — along with head coach Kevin O’Connell — for the foreseeable future. Before the disappointing campaign that followed, Minnesota’s regular season win percentage of .667 under Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell ranked sixth in the NFL, with only three other teams having win percentages above .600 in that span.

Team owner and chairman Zygi Wilf insisted that, at the time of the extension, the Vikings were ‘extremely excited to continue this journey with Kwesi in this role’.

“We’re confident in the direction he and Kevin are leading our organisation,” Wilf continued. “Kwesi’s commitment to building a championship-calibre team and his ability to collaborate effectively and make bold, calculated decisions has positioned the Vikings for long-term success.”

Just eight months later, however, Wilf’s name — and that of brother Mark — appear on the bottom of the statement confirming Adofo-Mensah’s ousting.

“Following our annual end-of-season organisational meetings over the last several weeks, and after careful consideration, we have decided it is in the best interest of the team to move forward with new leadership of our football operations,” the official missive explained. “These decisions are never easy. We are grateful for Kwesi’s contributions and commitment to the organisation over the past four years and wish him and his family the best in the future.

“Effective immediately, executive vice-president of football operations Rob Brzezinski will lead [the team] through the 2026 NFL Draft. Rob brings tremendous credibility and experience, understands our roster and has the ability to build consensus and rely on the expertise of our personnel and coaches. After the draft, we intend to conduct a thorough search to identify our next general manager. Building a team that can contend for championships drives us every day, and we look forward to bringing our fans the success they so deserve.”

O’Connell continues as head coach towards the 2026 season, and will have Brian Flores returning as the key to Minnesota’s stifling defense. Questions remain over the state of the offensive unit, however, with quarterback a notable concern going into the offseason, despite J.J. McCarthy having only been drafted in 2024.