Why Vikings fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in surprise move

The Minnesota Vikings made a surprising move on Friday, with the team firing general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah after four seasons.

The decision comes just eight months after the Vikings decided to extend his contract. That, combined with the timing of the decision, which comes well after teams usually decide to make a change at general manager, makes this a surprise.

So, why did the Vikings give Adofo-Mensah the boot? Here's what we know.

Why Vikings fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, who cites talk in league circles, there was a "tension" in the Vikings' building, with one source even going so far as to say the tension was "ugly."

"Throughout the season, there was talk about an underlying 'tension' in the Vikings’ building in league circles. One league source said it had been 'ugly' in Minnesota. Then today, the Vikings fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah," Schefter reported.

Unfortunately, details are scare beyond that as of this writing. That said, there could be several reasons for tension in Minnesota.

After all, the Vikings went from a 14-win team in 2024 to 9-8 and out of the playoffs in 2025.

The biggest reason for that was the significant decline in play at the quarterback position, which was a result of the team letting Sam Darnold walk in favor or starting J.J. McCarthy, the team's 2024 first-round pick.

While McCarthy struggled mightily through his first season as a starter while also dealing with injuries, Darnold had another fantastic season with the Seattle Seahawks, who are now in the Super Bowl.

Adofo-Mensah's draft history was another stain on his record.

We won't make a final judgement on McCarthy yet, but it isn't looking good for him and Mensah had struggled with making good picks overall over four years.

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