Vikings Fire GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
In a stunning move, the Vikings have fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Adofo-Mensah, 44, had been the Vikings’ GM since 2022.
As part of their official statement, the Vikings said: “Following our annual end-of-season organizational 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. These decisions are never easy. We are grateful for Kwesi’s contributions and commitment to the organization over the past four years and wish him and his family the best in the future.”
Executive vice president Rob Brzezinski will take over for Adofo-Mensah on an interim basis, the team announced. Brzezinski will lead the front office through April’s draft, but the Vikings “intend to conduct a thorough search” for their next GM after that.
The Vikings’ decision to cut ties with Adofo-Mensah comes less than a year after they locked him up to a contract extension last May. The deal prevented Adofo-Mensah from entering 2025 as a lame duck, but the team will now go in another direction after finishing 9-8 and missing the playoffs.
There was “tension” in the Vikings’ building leading up to Adofo-Mensah’s firing, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who hears that it had been “ugly” throughout the season. Jordan Schultz relays similar information, writing “there were relationship issues” at Vikings headquarters.
The Vikings brought in Adofo-Mensah after he divided 2013-21 between San Francisco and Cleveland. He impressed enough over two seasons as the Browns’ vice president of football operations to earn a promotion in Minnesota. With the hiring of head coach Kevin O’Connell three weeks later, Adofo-Mensah checked off his first key task atop the Vikings’ front office. The well-regarded O’Connell remains in place four years later, but he’ll pair with Brzezinski for now before potentially teaming up with a different GM.
The Adofo-Mensah/O’Connell tandem helped the Vikings to a 13-4 mark and an NFC North title in their first season together, though the team suffered a wild-card round upset against the Giants. The Vikings dropped to 7-10 in 2023, after which they allowed longtime starting quarterback Kirk Cousins to walk in free agency.
With Cousins heading to Atlanta on a massive contract worth up to $180MM over four years, the Vikings brought in veteran Sam Darnold on a one-year, $10MM pact and then used the 10th pick in the draft on former Michigan signal-caller J.J. McCarthy.
Adofo-Mensah traded up a spot for McCarthy, who went on to miss his entire rookie season with a torn meniscus. That didn’t faze Minnesota, where Darnold enjoyed a long-awaited breakout campaign six years after the Jets drafted him third overall. The Vikings posted a tremendous 14-3 record en route to another playoff berth, but they once again lost in the wild-card round.
A couple months after a rough showing in a blowout against the Rams, Darnold signed with the Seahawks on a three-year, $100.5MM deal. The Vikings made a similar offer, and they also tried to re-sign veteran passer Daniel Jones after he ended 2024 in their uniform, but they struck out in both instances. Jones saw a clearer path to playing time in Indianapolis, where he went on to revive his career before tearing his Achilles in early December.
Meanwhile, a Darnold-quarterbacked team finished 14-3 for the second year in a row. The Seahawks are now preparing to face the Patriots in Super Bowl LX after Darnold’s 346-yard, three-touchdown performance in a 31-27 triumph over the Rams in the NFC title game.
After Darnold and Jones slipped through their fingers last March, a season of subpar quarterback play was likely the main culprit in the Vikings’ disappointing 2025. Adofo-Mensah’s big bet on McCarthy hasn’t paid off to this point.
McCarthy battled multiple injuries in his first year at the helm, leading him to miss seven games, and was statistically among the league’s worst QBs when healthy. Journeyman backup Carson Wentz, who was a mixed bag filling in for McCarthy early in the year, required season-ending shoulder surgery in October.
Wentz’s injury left undrafted rookie Max Brosmer as McCarthy’s backup for the rest of the year. Brosmer was dreadful over eight appearances and two starts, including a four-interception outing in a 26-0 loss to Darnold’s Seahawks in Week 13.
Shortly after the Vikings’ campaign ended, Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell indicated they’d bring in competition for McCarthy this offseason. It’s not clear how aggressive Adofo-Mensah would have been, but that decision is now out of his hands.
While the Vikings’ lackluster QB performance this season likely contributed to Adofo-Mensah’s ouster, a poor track record in the draft also didn’t help his cause. As Kevin Seifert of ESPN points out, players the Vikings drafted from 2022-25 have only made 172 starts – the second-lowest total in the league during that span. To make matters worse, Adofo-Mensah’s drafts haven’t produced any Pro Bowlers. With Adofo-Mensah suddenly out of the organization, the Vikings will hope for better results from their Brzezinski-led front office this April.
Seahawks Franchise Expected To Be Sold Post-Super Bowl
About four years ago, following the death of former Seahawks owner and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Nike founder Phil Knight and Alan Smolinisky, minority owner of the MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers, offered to buy the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers from Allen’s estate, controlled by his sister, Jody Allen. At the time, Jody made it known that neither the Trail Blazers nor the Seahawks were up for sale but that that wouldn’t be the case forever. It appears that fateful day may soon be upon us, as Seth Wickersham and Brady Henderson of ESPN report that the Seahawks franchise is expected to go up for sale after Super Bowl LX. 
Since the late Allen’s passing, it’s been known that his intention was to eventually sell both franchises within his trust’s ownership. That said, at the moment, a spokesperson for the estate released a statement indicating that the announcement from ESPN cannot quite yet be confirmed, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
“We don’t comment on rumors or speculation,” the statement began. “And the team is not for sale. We’ve already said that will change at some point per Paul’s wishes, but I have no news to share. Our focus right now is winning the Super Bowl and completing the sale of the Portland Trail Blazers in the coming months.”
Allen’s wishes for the teams, directed at his sister, were to eventually sell both franchises and to donate the proceeds to charity. The long-term, future focus of the transactions was likely due to a timing issue that would’ve required the Allens to share 10 percent of the proceeds collected on the sale of the Seahawks with the state of Washington, a timing issue that no longer applies. Now, it seems the wheels could soon be in motion for the team’s eventual sale.
Bought in 1997 for $200MM, the franchise is now currently valued by Sportico at $6.59BB, giving them the 14th-highest valuation in the league. Sales, though, often exceed their valuations, and some have estimated that selling the Seattle franchise could earn up to $7BB or $8BB. Regardless, of the profit, though, Jody Allen intends to honor her brother’s wishes of dedicating the proceeds of the sale to philanthropic purposes.
When the first attempt to buy the Trail Blazers occurred back in 2022, Jody explained that an estate the size of her brother’s could take 10 to 20 years to wind down, so there wasn’t any deadline or expected timeline dictating the sale of the franchises. Things have begun to move in that direction, though, with the Blazers currently in the process of being sold for over $4BB to Tom Dundon, who owns the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes.
Allen has made it clear that her focus at the moment is on completing the sale of the Trail Blazers and winning another Super Bowl for the city of Seattle. Win or lose, though, it sounds like she may finally start the process of offloading the Seahawks from her brother’s estate after the season ends.
Falcons Expected To Release QB Kirk Cousins
Though the Falcons hired one of Kirk Cousins‘ former coaches, he is still expected to be on his way out of Atlanta in early March, per Josh Kendall of The Athletic.
Cousins, 37, worked closely with new Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski during their shared time in Minnesota. Stefanski was the Vikings’ quarterbacks coach when Cousins signed with the team in 2018 and was promoted to interim offensive coordinator during the season. He held onto the gig for the 2019 season and called plays for Cousins as he passed his way to his second Pro Bowl.
However, their reunion is expected to be extremely short-lived. Cousins’ contract was recently reworked to essentially force his release before the start of free agency. The Falcons would consider re-signing Cousins’ on a cheaper deal than his current contract, but he will likely look for a clearer starting opportunity elsewhere. Michael Penix‘s ongoing recovery from knee surgery could sideline him at the start of the 2026 season, but he is expected to retake the starting job once he is healthy.
If Cousins cannot find a more appealing situation, he may opt for a return to Atlanta to once again work with Stefanski. He would start until Penix comes back on the field, and theoretically, he could play well enough to keep the starting job. That seems unlikely given his performance in the last two years, but perhaps Stefanski could reinvigorate the veteran quarterback.
Stefanski acknowledged his connection with Cousins after he was hired by the Falcons, but did not provide any insight on his future.
“Obviously, I have a previous relationship with Kirk, but I don’t know if it’s the time yet to talk about all those types of things,” Stefanski said (via Kendall). “Those conversations will come in due time.”
Buccaneers Interview Indiana OC Chandler Whitmer For QB Coach
The Buccaneers made some changes to their offensive coaching staff in January and have been in the process of hiring replacements. Former Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson has made the in-division move to replace Josh Grizzard in the same role, and now Tampa Bay is looking at Indiana co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Chandler Whitmer to fill the role left vacant after they dismissed Thad Lewis, per Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network.
After only a year away from the NFL, Whitmer could be headed right back. A former college quarterback who spent time at Illinois, Butler Community College, and UConn, Whitmer didn’t start his coaching career until five years after his playing career ended, working as a graduate assistant at Ohio State and Clemson in 2019 and 2020, respectively. From there, he got his first NFL opportunity as a quality control coach with the Chargers in 2021. He spent three years in Los Angeles before getting hired by the Falcons in 2024 to serve as Atlanta’s pass game specialist.
Whitmer made the move to join Curt Cignetti‘s staff at Indiana after Tino Sunseri departed for the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach job at UCLA. Whitmer stepped into his co-OC title, shared with offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Mike Shanahan. In doing so, Whitmer ended up tying himself to transfer quarterback (by way of Cal) Fernando Mendoza.
Working with Cignetti and Whitmer, Mendoza would go on to lead the NCAA in passing touchdowns (41), finish third in the NCAA in completion percentage (72.0), and fourth in the country in yards per attempt (9.3). The team’s success resulted in the Hoosiers winning their first ever national championship game, and Mendoza took home the top individual prize when he won the Heisman Trophy and became the favorite to be selected No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Mendoza was certainly a talented player when he came in, but it seems clear the system designed by Cignetti and Whitmer contributed to his huge leap in 2025. Tampa Bay could be looking to pair Whitmer with another Heisman-winner after Baker Mayfield had a down 2025 campaign. Whitmer interviewed with the team this week and could return to the NFL just a year after leaving.
Bills Expect To Exercise TE Dalton Kincaid’s Fifth-Year Option
A first-round pick three years ago, Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid is heading into the final guaranteed year of his rookie contract, and Buffalo will soon be faced with the decision of whether or not to exercise his fifth-year option. In an interview yesterday, general manager Brandon Beane indicated that Kincaid’s option would likely be picked up. 
After an impressive rookie season, in which he finished with the second-most receptions on the team (73) and the third-most receiving yards (673), Kincaid has struggled to find that same level of success in Years 2 & 3. A lot of that has been due to injuries that have kept him off the field or even just limited what he could do while on the field. In just three fewer games in his sophomore campaign, the Utah product only caught 44 passes for 448 yards as he dealt with issues in both knees.
In the offseason, then-head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane told Kincaid he needed to improve his strength. He worked with the team’s strength and conditioning coach Will Greenberg towards that goal, but ultimately, he missed one more game in 2025 than he did in the year prior as his PCL tear from 2024 continued to plague him.
Despite the injuries continuing to bother him, Kincaid flashed the talent this year that got him drafted in the first round back in 2023. He caught five touchdown passes in 12 games and then grabbed two more in the postseason. Beane noted Kincaid’s overall influence on the offense besides his personal stat contributions, claiming that the Bills averaged seven more points going in the playoffs with Kincaid on the field and noting that the team was 2-3 in games in which Kincaid did not play.
Beane once again stressed the importance of getting Kincaid healthy and expressed his desire to “armor him” as best they can. Regardless of the injuries, Beane seems to believe that Kincaid’s talent shines through as he claimed he doesn’t see any reason why they wouldn’t pick up Kincaid’s fifth-year option, giving him two more seasons with the Bills.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/30/26
Friday’s only reserve/futures deal from around the NFL:
Denver Broncos
After a seven-year collegiate career at Oregon State, Robinson’s rookie campaign came and went without him coming off the practice squad. He’ll be back in Denver for the offseason with the aim of making the team in Year 2.
Patriots DC Terrell Williams Is Cancer-Free, Will Travel To Super Bowl
The Patriots are headed to the Super Bowl, and for the first time this season, defensive coordinator Terrell Williams will be traveling with the team for the game. 
Williams, 51, was diagnosed with prostate cancer shortly after the start of the regular season. A health scare had chased him from spring ball, and though he reunited with his team shortly before the start of the regular season, Williams was forced to depart after New England’s Week 1 loss the Raiders and has been off the sideline ever since. He is now cancer-free, per Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald. Head coach Mike Vrabel informed his team a few weeks ago, and Williams has since been given the go-ahead to join the team in their upcoming trip to California.
Williams remained involved with the team during treatment by attending meetings and keeping in touch with players. Play-calling duties were handed to inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr, who excelled in the role. New England’s defense ranked fourth in points allowed and eighth in total defense and dominated opposing offenses throughout their first three playoff games. Vinny DePalma, a defensive assistant, stepped into Kuhr’s role to help manage the Patriots linebacking corps, in the meantime.
It was a long road back for Williams. After his initial diagnosis indicated an aggressive form of prostate cancer, he and Vrabel agreed he should take time away from the team to focus on his treatment. It started with a month-long medication schedule that led into chemotherapy treatments — five rounds with three weeks separating each round. After beating his cancer, Williams returned to New England to rejoin the team, with whom he’ll now fight for the ultimate prize of the sport.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Bills To Hire Cardinals’ STC Jeff Rodgers
The Bills are expected to hire Cardinals special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers for the same job on Joe Brady’s new staff in Buffalo, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
Rodgers, 48, has spent the last eight seasons in Arizona with the added title of assistant head coach for the last seven. He previously served as the special teams coordinator for the Panthers (2010), Broncos (2011-2014), and Bears, (2015-2017). Before that, he worked as a special teams assistant for the 49ers (2003-2007) before his first coordinator gig with at Kansas State.
Rodgers will be replacing Chris Tabor, who was hired by the Bills last offseason after previously working for the Panthers. He overlapped with new head coach Joe Brady in Carolina, but the two will not continue working together in Buffalo. Tabor accepted an offer to be the Dolphins’ new special teams coordinator before Brady was officially name the Bills’ head coach.
Buffalo’s special teams unit received an 88.0 overall grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) in 2025. Running back Ray Davis received a first-team All-Pro nod as a returner after averaging 30.4 yards on his kick returns, the most in the league. Tabor helped keep the kicking and punting units afloat amid injuries to Matt Prater and Cameron Johnston.
Steelers To Hire Patrick Graham As DC, Add Jason Simmons To Staff
January 30: The Steelers have officially hired Graham, per a team announcement.
January 29: As expected, Patrick Graham is heading to Pittsburgh. The veteran staffer is indeed being hired by the Steelers as their new defensive coordinator and departing the Raiders in the process, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. 
Not long after it was learned Graham would interview for the position this week, signs pointed to a hire in this case. Graham was previously hired by Mike McCarthy as a linebackers coach for the Packers in 2018. McCarthy was brought in as Pittsburgh’s new head coach recently, and the two are reuniting for 2026.
Another ex-Packers staffer is joining the fold. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Thursday morning that Commanders defensive pass-game coordinator Jason Simmons would be joining Pittsburgh. According to Wilson, a deal has now been struck with Simmons (who also interviewed for the Steelers’ DC gig).
A “prominent” role on the defensive staff now awaits Simmons, Fowler adds. The 49-year-old worked in Green Bay from 2011-19, giving him considerable overlap with McCarthy. Plenty of other key staffing decisions remain at this point, but the Super Bowl-winning HC has largely begun by adding familiar faces.
For each of the past seven seasons, Graham has worked as an NFL defensive coordinator. He spent one year with the Dolphins and Giants before reuniting with former Patriots colleague Josh McDaniels in Vegas. Through the Raiders’ turbulence at the head coaching position since then, Graham remained in place as defensive play-caller for four seasons. It remains to be seen who the Raiders will hire as their new head coach, but Pete Carroll‘s replacement will need to add a D-coordinator shortly after arriving.
Graham helped lead Vegas to a ninth-place finish in scoring defense in 2023. The team posted middling (at best) numbers in many other categories during the rest of his tenure, with points allowed one of many issues for Vegas in 2025. The Steelers posted strong numbers during much of Teryl Austin‘s four-year defensive coordinator tenure. His final campaign in that role saw a regression in total and scoring defense, though.
Austin has been a strong candidate to depart Pittsburgh since Mike Tomlin stepped aside. Today’s news confirms Austin will be coaching elsewhere in 2026. The Steelers once again committed more financial resources to their defense than their offense this season; that can be expected to continue moving forward. Expectations will be high in Graham’s case given his experience and Pittsburgh’s roster construction.
The 47-year-old has found himself on the head coaching radar for several years. Graham has also been linked to a number of other defensive coordinator openings during recent hiring cycles. A change of scenery has long loomed as a distinct possibility in his case as a result, and one has now taken place. As the Steelers look to aim their drought for postseason victories, Graham and Simmons will each be counted on to handle key roles as members of McCarthy’s initial Pittsburgh staff.
Ravens To Hire Bears OC Declan Doyle
The Ravens are expected to hire Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle for the same position on Jesse Minter‘s new staff in Baltimore, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Doyle, 29, has just seven years of NFL coaching experience and only one season as a coordinator. He previously served as an offensive assistant with the Saints (2019-2022) and a tight ends coach with the Broncos (2023-2024) before joining Ben Johnson in Chicago. He helped Johnson quickly install his offense and played a crucial role in Caleb Williams‘ second-year breakout, both of which contributed to the Bears winning their first playoff game since 2010.
Doyle’s success in those roles – as well as his time under Johnson and Sean Payton – attracted the attention of the Eagles and the Ravens in recent weeks as they look for new offensive coordinators. Though the Bears could block those interviews, they allowed Doyle to speak with other teams. He withdrew from the Eagles’ search, but traveled to Baltimore on Friday to interview with the Ravens. That meeting clearly went well, as the two sides quickly reached an agreement for Doyle to join Minter’s staff.
In Baltimore, Doyle will get to work rebuilding the Ravens offense around Lamar Jackson after a disappointing 2025 season. The unit regressed significantly from their elite numbers in 2023 and 2024 and finished 11th in points and 16th in yards. A number of injuries to Jackson played a role, though they were also symptomatic of bigger issues. The offensive line could not consistently keep Jackson clean in the pocket or open up holes at the line of scrimmage, and the Ravens went from being one of the league’s best red-zone offenses to one of its worst.
The Bears were confident that Doyle would remain in Chicago after he withdrew his name from the Eagles’ search, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. However, the opportunity to work under Minter and call plays Jackson on a Ravens team that is expected to return to championship contention in 2026 was too much to turn down. Johnson will now have to find a new offensive coordinator heading into his second season as a head coach, and he will not be able to offer play-calling duties to entice candidates with interest from other teams.
The Ravens, meanwhile, will now work with Doyle to build out the rest of his offensive staff. They have already made key hires to coach their offensive line, but former coaches John Harbaugh and Todd Monken have been poaching assistants from their previous staff in Baltimore. With Doyle hired, the Ravens will be able to make decisions on the rest of their incumbent coaches, including important figures like quarterbacks coach Tee Martin.
Here is an overview of Baltimore’s now-completed offensive coordinator search:
- Joe Brady, offensive coordinator (Bills): Mentioned as candidate
- Declan Doyle, offensive coordinator (Bears): Hire expected
- Kliff Kingsbury, former offensive coordinator (Commanders): Interviewed 1/12
- Mike McDaniel, former head coach (Dolphins): Mentioned as candidate
- Scottie Montgomery, wide receivers coach (Lions): To interview
- Davis Webb, quarterbacks coach (Broncos): Interview requested