Vikings Make Front Office Changes
With Nolan Teasley in place as the new Vikings general manager, the front office is undergoing some significant changes. Most notably, the organization has parted ways with assistant general manager Demitrius Washington, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert clarifies that Washington requested and received permission to pursue opportunities elsewhere.
[RELATED: Vikings Hire Nolan Teasley As GM]
Washington made a name for himself as a member of the 49ers front office, where he worked his way up to the role of Manager of Football Research and Development. Coincidently, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah previously held that same role in San Francisco, and the executive brought his successor to Minnesota after being named GM in 2022. Washington spent the past four years with the Vikings, and there’s a chance he lands back with the 49ers, especially after Adofo-Mensah returned to San Francisco following his Minnesota ouster.
The Vikings moved on from a handful of other front office executives, per Lewis: senior personnel executive Jamaal Stephenson, assistant director of college scouting Pat Roberts, and pro scout Salli Clavelle. Stephenson had been in Minnesota since 2002, serving as the director of college scouting before earning a promotion to co-director of player personnel. Roberts also had a lengthy tenure with the organization, where he climbed the ladder to become the assistant director of college scouting in 2022.
Clavelle followed a similar path as Washington, as she was brought over from San Francisco following Adofo-Mensah’s hire. She was previously a college scout with the 49ers before taking on a similar role in Minnesota.
As Lewis points out, Teasley’s approach is significantly different than when Adofo-Mensah took over as GM in 2022. The previous GM wanted to “maintain the structure of the previous staff,” leading to few departures and only a handful of thoughtful additions. The new GM did laud the Vikings’ “strong football evaluation” team during his introductory press conference, so perhaps this is the extent of notable subtractions from the staff.
49ers Announce Front Office Updates
This week, the 49ers announced a number of updates to their front office. For starters, while we had known San Francisco had reunited with former director of football research & development Kwesi Adofo-Mensah following his dismissal from a role as Vikings general manager, but we didn’t know his title. Alongside the announcement of several promotions, the team disclosed that Adofo-Mensah’s title in his return will be vice president, personnel & strategy.
Also earning the VP moniker this week was Austin Moss II, who was promoted from senior director, player affairs & development to vice president, player development & team dynamics. Moss started with San Francisco in 2018 as the team’s director of player engagement and was promoted to his most recent position in 2024.
Formerly working as manager, football administration, Jeff Weidemeyer worked his way up to senior manager, football administration & roster management. Weidemeyer’s NFL career began as a salary cap analyst/staff counsel in Philadelphia from 2012-16. After six years as executive vice president and general counsel at Select Sports Group, Weidemeyer returned to the league as football contract administrator for the 49ers in 2022, getting promoted to his most recent role in 2024.
In the scouting department, Nathan Biehl was promoted from NFS scout to area scout. Biehl joined the team in 2024 after four years interning in video with the Buccaneers. Replacing him as NFS scout will be Ryan Carter, who has been promoted from scouting assistant. Carter is also in his third year with the team.
Another third-year scouting assistant, Casey Filkins also earned a promotion and will now work as a player personnel scout filling a role made vacant when former player personnel scout Jordan Fox was promoted to pro scout. Like many others here, Fox joined the 49ers two years ago, doing so after a two-year stint as a scouting assistant for the Jets.
Also, in the personnel department, Grant Bordelon has been promoted from football personnel systems analyst to football systems and personnel operations specialist. He also joined the 49ers in 2024 after a playing career as a defensive lineman at MIT. Lastly, former assistant to the general manager Michael Gonzalez has been promoted to head of general manager operations. Unlike everyone else here, Gonzalez joined the team in 2014 as a football operations intern, working different roles over the past 12 years “supporting the club’s executive football leadership across personnel operations and strategic planning.”
Vikings Notes: Adofo-Mensah, GM, Brandel
It looked like business as usual for the Vikings’ front office early in the winter. On the heels of a disappointing 9-8 campaign, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah met with the media on Jan. 13 to discuss the upcoming offseason. At the time, sources inside and outside the organization believed his job was safe, according to an ESPN report. But Vikings owners Zygi Wilf and Mark Wilf were discussing Adofo-Mensah’s future behind the scenes, and they elected to fire him on Jan. 30.
Almost four full months since they moved on from Adofo-Mensah, the Vikings have not named a replacement. That was the plan all along, as they indicated upon firing Adofo-Mensah that a search would begin after the draft in late April.
Executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski led the Vikings’ front office through the most important parts of the offseason as their interim GM. He is now one of five finalists for Adofo-Mensah’s old job, joining outside assistant GMs Reed Burckhardt (Broncos), Terrance Gray (Bills), John McKay (Rams) and Nolan Teasley (Seahawks).
The Vikings are likely to hire someone within a “couple of weeks,” per The Athletic’s Alec Lewis, who leaves the door open for the team changing its power structure. That is something the Wilfs have been reluctant to do. If it happens, though, it may mean promoting Brzezinski to a president of football operations-type role and hiring, in Lewis’ words, a “personnel guy” to work under him. The Falcons did that earlier in the offseason when they created a president of football position for Matt Ryan and brought in Ian Cunningham as their GM.
If Minnesota takes a similar tack, it is worth pointing out Burckhardt and Gray are former Vikings employees who have past working experience with Brzezinski. That might give either a leg up if the plan is to keep Brzezinski, who has been in the Vikings’ front office since 1999. Sources believe Brzezinski will stick around in some capacity, Lewis reports.
Turning to on-field matters, Brzezinski and head coach Kevin O’Connell saw starting center Ryan Kelly retire before free agency began in early March. Kelly had another season left on his two-year, $18MM deal, but the longtime Colt walked away in the wake of a concussion-filled 2025. The Vikings considered addressing the position in free agency and the early rounds of the draft, Lewis notes, but nothing came together. The inactivity at center is a positive development for holdover Blake Brandel, who is the favorite to take over for Kelly.
A Viking since they selected him in the sixth round of the 2020 draft, the versatile Brandel has played all over the line and picked up 31 starts in 73 appearances. He hasn’t missed a game since 2022, but last year was the first time Brandel primarily lined up at center. With Kelly out for most of the season, Brandel made nine starts and finished as Pro Football Focus’ 23rd-ranked center among 37 qualifiers. The Vikings seem confident in Brandel’s chances of holding down center on a full-time basis. Otherwise, they would have done more than add Gavin Gerhardt, whom they drafted in the seventh round.
49ers Hire Kwesi Adofo-Mensah In Personnel Role
Former Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is returning to San Francisco’s front office, 49ers GM John Lynch announced on Tuesday.
“We’re bringing him back in a personnel executive role,” Lynch said (via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner), adding that an exact title would be determined after the draft.
Adofo-Mensah, 44, spent the last four years as Minnesota’s GM and was unexpectedly fired at the end of January, eight months after signing a multi-year contract extension. GMs do not get fired after 9-8 seasons, much less when their team went 34-17 in the three years prior. But the Vikings’ regression from their 14-win season led the team and a spotty draft record was enough to facilitate Adofo-Mensah’s ouster.
The former Wall Street trader’s lack of a traditional football background was a factor in his dismissal, but his reunion with the 49ers will bring him back to the first NFL team that took a chance on him. Adofo-Mensah arrived in San Francisco in 2013 under then-GM Trent Baalke as their manager of football development and research. Lynch promoted Adofo-Mensah to director of football development and research when he replaced Baalke in 2017.
Adofo-Mensah only worked with Lynch and new head coach Kyle Shanahan for three years before moving to Cleveland as the Browns’ vice president of football operations. Two years later, he was hired by the Vikings.
With their top-heavy salary cap, the 49ers will have need for Adofo-Mensah’s expertise in financial management over the next few years. They are currently working on an extension with Trent Williams, which would make their tight 2027 cap picture even tighter.
Adofo-Mensah’s success in Minnesota could keep him in conversations for open general manager positions in future years, but his poor history in the draft will be a black mark on his record that will be tough to ignore. Lynch, though, has been an excellent drafter and could mentor Adofo-Mensah as he searches for another GM opportunity.
Fallout From Vikings’ Firing Of GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
To the surprise of many, the Vikings fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on Friday. However, the move didn’t come as a shock to Adofo-Mensah, who “was not blindsided by this,” Jeremy Fowler of ESPN says. Adofo-Mensah somewhat expected to take the fall after a 9-8 season that did not include a playoff berth, though the Vikings waited almost a month to pull the trigger.
It took the Vikings 26 days after their season finale to hand Adofo-Mensah his walking papers. Owner Mark Wilf explained why on Friday, telling reporters he wanted to avoid a “knee-jerk” reaction and take a “methodical” approach (via Kevin Seifert of ESPN).
Multiple reports on Friday pointed to a tense atmosphere in Minnesota during Adofo-Mensah’s last season on the job. There may have been a rift between Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell, whom the GM hired four years ago, but Wilf claims there wasn’t disharmony in the building.
“We are in touch with everyone in the building, sensing the dynamic, how people work together. I think, again, it’s a good collaborative situation,” he said. “People get along here. Everything was good. It’s strictly a professional decision on where we think the dynamic was best going forward.”
Moving on from Adofo-Mensah was “100% ownership”-driven and about the GM’s full “body of work,” declared Wilf, who tabbed executive vice president Rob Brzezinski to lead the Vikings’ front office through the draft. Wilf said the Vikings will consider a promotion to GM for Brzezinski, but they’ll conduct a “thorough” post-draft search before naming Adofo-Mensah’s replacement.
While Wilf is leaning toward giving the next GM power over personnel decision-making, he expects O’Connell to provide “extremely heavy input.” With O’Connell considered one of the game’s top coaches, that isn’t a surprise. Although Minnesota has gone 0-2 in the playoffs under O’Connell, its .632 winning percentage since he took over in 2022 is tied for the fifth-best mark in the NFL.
Poor quarterback play, mostly from 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, undermined the Vikings’ chances in 2025. McCarthy grabbed the reins after the Vikings lost veteran signal-callers Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones in free agency last March. After carrying his 2024 Minnesota breakout to Seattle this season, Darnold is preparing for Super Bowl LX against the Patriots. Jones had an impressive season with the Colts before tearing his Achilles in early December.
It may be too early to write off the 23-year-old McCarthy. For now, though, he looks like yet another draft miss for Adofo-Mensah, who traded up a spot to pick the former Michigan starter 10th overall. McCarthy’s struggles so far are especially damning with Darnold a week away from playing for a Lombardi Trophy.
Another draft trade – the 2022 deal that delivered wide receiver Jameson Williams to NFC North rival Detroit – also looks like a black mark on Adofo-Mensah’s resume, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes. The Vikings traded the 12th and 46th picks to the Lions for Nos. 32, 34 and 66. The Lions spent the 12th pick on Williams and the 46th choice on defensive end Josh Paschal. Paschal hasn’t been a difference-maker, but Williams is fresh off his second straight 1,000-yard season. Meanwhile, the Vikings used their first pick that year on former Georgia defensive back Lewis Cine, who didn’t last long with them after fracturing his leg in his rookie season. Cine is now a member of the United Football League.
Of the 10 players Adofo-Mensah drafted in his inaugural class, only fifth-round running back Ty Chandler and sixth-round receiver Jalen Nailor are still with the Vikings. Neither has risen above role player status, and the same is true of most of the picks Adofo-Mensah made during his four-year tenure. None of his selections have made the Pro Bowl to this point.
Adofo-Mensah, a former commodities trader who never played or coached football, started off in the NFL as a manager of research and development for the 49ers in 2013. He rose up to become the Browns’ vice president of football operations from 2020-21 before the Vikings chose him to replace former GM Rick Spielman. As an analytics-based hire who didn’t come with a traditional football background, Adofo-Mensah “was never truly accepted [in Minnesota] from day one,” sources told Fowler.
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.
Vikings Extend GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
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.
Vikings, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Negotiating Extension
To little surprise, the Vikings have already worked out an extension with head coach Kevin O’Connell this offseason. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has been in place for three years alongside him, and their partnership could continue beyond 2025.
One year remains on Adofo-Mensah‘s current deal, and teams often look to avoid ‘lame-duck’ situations with coaches and GMs. Just like how O’Connell is on the books beyond the coming campaign, the same could soon be true of Adofo-Mensah. The 43-year-old said (via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert) extension talks are ongoing between his agent and owners Zygi and Mark Wilf.
“It’s probably on me that it’s not going quicker because I wake up every morning focused on the things that I need to focus on to get this team to where they want to go,” Adofo-Mensah said. “I know the Wilfs value me, the things I bring to this organization. I know I love it here. We’ve been able to accomplish a lot of different things.”
The Vikings have transitioned to a young core at many positions over the past three years, and the team’s 14-3 run last season is cause for high expectations moving forward. The quarterback situation is of course a question mark with J.J. McCarthy having missed his entire rookie season, but the 2024 first-rounder is on track to handle starting duties next season (depending on the nature of the likely veteran addition under center which is still to come). Adofo-Mensah will be tasked with overseeing Minnesota’s new era at the position, especially if he lands a new deal.
The NFC North sent three teams to the playoffs in 2024, and the division figures to remain among the toughest in the NFL moving forward. Continuity on the sidelines with the reigning Coach of the Year will be key; it would also come as no surprise if ownership elected to make a renewed commitment in the front office given Adofo-Mensah’s track record so far.
In the wake of the Vikings’ wild-card loss (the second of the O’Connell-Adofo-Mensah regime), it was confirmed extension talks for both would take place. The team already has one of those taken care of, and plenty of time still remains this offseason for the other to come into place.
Vikings, Kevin O’Connell Agree To Extension
The Vikings have not waited long after the end of their season to work out an extension with Kevin O’Connell. Minnesota’s head coach has a new deal in place, the team announced on Tuesday.
“Kevin is exactly who we believed him to be when we named him as our head coach – an innovative play caller, an excellent communicator and a strong leader who motivates and connects with his players,” a statement from owner Mark Wilf reads. “He has helped establish a culture that positions us for sustained success, and he will continue to set the standard we need as we pursue a championship for Vikings fans.” 
O’Connell was previously set to enter the final year of his pact in 2025, but it became clear immediately after the team’s wild-card loss that the team would engage in extension talks. Those efforts carried the potential of an agreement being worked out in short order, and that has proven to be the case. No specifics are known with respect to term, but this new contract has been announced as a multi-year accord.
Hired in 2022, the 39-year-old had experience as an offensive coordinator prior to his arrival in Minnesota but none as a head coach. O’Connell made an immediate impact, though, leading the team to a 13-4 record in his debut season at the helm. Expectations were high last year as a result, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Quarterback Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles midway through the campaign, however, and the team wound up 7-10 and out of the playoff picture.
Cousins’ free agency was a central offseason storyline for the Vikings last spring, and the team ultimately watched him depart on the open market by signing with the Falcons. J.J. McCarthy was selected as a long-term replacement under center, but (especially with the Michigan product being sidelined for the year with a meniscus tear) it was veteran free agent pickup Sam Darnold who handled QB1 duties in 2024.
Darnold delivered by far the most productive season of his career during his first campaign working with O’Connell. The latter’s reputation as one of the league’s top offensive minds has increased as a result, although it remains to be seen if Darnold will remain in Minnesota or take a lucrative deal with another team on the open market. In any case, Year 2 with the former top-three pick or a fresh start with McCarthy atop the depth chart will result in high expectations following a 14-3 campaign.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is in the same situation as O’Connell with respect to his current deal being set to expire after the 2025 season. It would come as little surprise if he too were to land an extension, though. Indeed, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network notes talks on a new deal for Adofo-Mensah are underway.
Ensuring the top organizational decision-makers remain in place for the foreseeable future is a logical goal for the Vikings. O’Connell’s situation has now been taken care of, while Adofo-Mensah is on track to be extended as well. That pairing has led Minnesota to a 34-17 record, and continued success in a highly competitive NFC North will remain the target for 2025 and beyond.
Vikings To Discuss Extensions With Kevin O’Connell, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
JANUARY 16: O’Connell confirmed he engaged in discussions with Vikings ownership this week, via The Athletic’s Alec Lewis. Exiting his third season at the helm, the Minnesota HC confirmed he is seeking a second contract. A leaguewide expectation points to an O’Connell extension coming this offseason, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones adds. Adofo-Mensah confirmed (via ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert) he also has met with ownership.
JANUARY 15: The Vikings’ season ended on a sour note regarding the final week of the regular season as well as the wild-card round. Losses in both of those contests have left the 14-win team out of Super Bowl contention, but expectations will likely be raised next season. 
The defining storyline of Minnesota’s offseason will of course be the status of quarterback Sam Darnold. He far exceeded the value of his one-year, $10MM pact in 2024 but poor outings to close out the campaign could hinder his earning power. Regardless of whether the franchise tag is used, a multi-year contract is worked out or if the Vikings move on to J.J. McCarthy under center, continuity should be expected on the sidelines and in the front office.
Owner and president Mark Wilf plans to discuss contract extensions with head coach Kevin O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star Tribune writes. Talks could begin as early as this week as the team prepares for a number of looming offseason decisions. O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah are both in their first stints in their current positions, and their success has been notable.
The Vikings went 13-4 in 2022, the first season both were in place for Minnesota. That was followed last year by a 7-10 campaign punctuated by quarterback Kirk Cousins‘ Achilles tear. Minnesota ultimately decided not to match the Falcons’ commitment to Cousins in free agency, electing to invest in McCarthy in the first round of the draft in addition to the Darnold signing. The latter’s career year has helped his market value considerably, and it has enhanced O’Connell’s reputation around the league as one of the NFL’s top offensive minds.
It was reported in December an extension for O’Connell was expected, although at that point no discussions had taken place. He and Adofo-Mensah are under contract through 2025, but their respective performances to date have certainly helped their leverage in securing a new commitment from ownership. A trade for O’Connell was raised as a possibility being entertained by other teams earlier this month; to no surprise, that has since been emphatically shut down.
The Vikings will be hard-pressed to duplicate this season’s success given the strength of the NFC North, but the team could be well positioned to contend moving forward by ensuring the current HC/GM combination remains intact beyond next year. It will be interesting to see how extension talks progress once they get underway.