Kevin O’Connell landed an extension this offseason, ensuring the Vikings will have their head coach in place for years to come. The same is now true of their general manager. 
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has agreed to a multi-year extension, as first reported by Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The deal – which the team has since announced – was signed last night, per the report. 2025 had represented the final year of Adofo-Mensah’s pact, but he will not enter the campaign in a lame duck situation.
“Kwesi’s leadership, vision and collaboration with our coaching staff has positioned the Minnesota Vikings for sustained success,” a statement from co-owner Mark Wilf reads. “His dedication and forward-thinking approach have been instrumental in shaping our roster and future, and we are confident that under the guidance of him and Kevin O’Connell, we will continue to compete at the highest level as we pursue a championship for Vikings fans.”
Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell arrived together in Minnesota in 2022. Their first season together produced a 13-4 record, but a home wild-card loss marked an underwhelming end to the campaign. During the following year – one in which quarterback Kirk Cousins suffered an Achilles tear – Minnesota went 7-10 while cycling through a number of replacements under center to close out the season. The defining aspect of last spring for the Vikings was their decision to allow Cousins to depart in free agency and draft a long-term replacement in the form of J.J. McCarthy.
That move was another example of the extent to which Minnesota’s core has been been revamped over the past three years. In 2024 (with free agent signing Sam Darnold in place and McCarthy recovering from meniscus surgery), the Vikings went an impressive 14-3 while playing in the highly competitive NFC North. While the season again ended in the wild-card round – this time via a lopsided neutral site loss to the Rams – it came as no surprise when O’Connell received Coach of the Year honors in addition to his extension. The Vikings will keep the tandem including he and Adofo-Mensah in place while aiming to find postseason success.
That effort will see McCarthy handle starting duties despite missing his entire rookie season. The first-rounder will take charge of an offense featuring a strong skill-position group, an offensive line which has undergone multiple changes this offseason and O’Connell (who has established himself as one of the league’s top offensive minds). On defense, a unit which saw the free agent arrival of Jonathan Allen along with continued additions via the draft, expectations will remain high moving forward.
Today’s news ensures the Vikings will have stability not only on the sidelines but also in the front office. Adofo-Mensah is not the only executive affected by Friday’s developments, though. Pelissero reports Ryan Grigson and Demitrius Washington are each being promoted to assistant general manager. Both have operated as key aids to Adofo-Mensah during his Vikings tenure.
Grigson interviewed with the Jets for their general manager vacancy this winter. Already on the GM radar, this promotion will no doubt help him generate attention for future openings. For at least one more season, though, he and Washington will remain in place with Minnesota. Adofo-Mensah, meanwhile, is assured of continuing in his role at the helm of the Vikings for several more years.
Hires the best head coach and d coordinator pairing in the entire sport.
but is also the worst drafting GM.
Yup. However, even with a good/great HC, an inability to draft will eventually catch up with them. Teams can’t live off free agency forever.
Not even close to the worst, had a horrendous first draft but has since had a very decent 2023 draft (1 great starter, 2 rotation pieces, and bringing in Pace as a UDFA counts too while only having 1 pick in the top 100 due to the Hock trade), and the 2024 draft is still a question mark but if JJM and Turner end up decent and Reichard continues to be a consistent kicker that alone would make that a decent draft.
The only thing to show through four drafts is hitting on one first round pick, along with two backups and a kicker. That’s not the output you’d call successful. Even Matt Millen hit on the occasional 1st round pick and some backups.
Disagree, getting a starter, two rotational pieces and a UDFA starter in a draft with only 1 pick in the top 100 is a really good draft. 2024 lives and dies on Turner and JJM but Reichard looks legit so that’s 3 starters right there and we’ll see what the other guys do. So that’s one bad draft, one pretty good draft, and 2 questions mark, so tell me again how that makes him the worst in the league. Sure Matt Millen had decent picks but what killed him was blowing multiple top 10 picks, something Kwesi has never done.
If McCarthy hits, that won’t matter.
If my aunt had a shlong, she’d be my uncle
I find myself liking Kwesi quite a bit even if the analogies he often uses to explain his coaching philosophy are coming way out of left field 🙂
The only thing that GM should’ve done was tell the media prior to free agency that the Vikings are 100% not interested in Rodgers