A general manager’s fate is often tied to his quarterback, and for the Minnesota Vikings‘ Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the gamble on J.J. McCarthy has cost him his job. Missing the playoffs with a 9-8 record was the final straw for Minnesota, who have fired GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in a move reportedly linked to the failures of quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

“The Vikings made plenty of changes during Adofo-Mensah’s four-year tenure, moving from proven quarterbacks in Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold to the young McCarthy. They also executed plenty of trades,” The Athletic’s Alec Lewis and Dianna Russini reported.

As the report suggests, the Vikings suffered after moving away from Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold, transitioning to J.J. McCarthy as their QB1. Cousins left Minnesota after six successful seasons, where the franchise had a 50-37-1 regular-season record and two playoff appearances.

In 2019, the Vikings beat the Saints in the wild-card round before losing to the 49ers in the divisional round. In 2022, they lost at home to the Giants in the wild-card round after going 13-4 in the regular season. However, after Kirk’s Achilles injury in the 2023 season, he failed to reach an agreement over his extension and then moved to the Atlanta Falcons.

After Cousins, the Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy in the 2024 draft, but he missed his rookie season after tearing the meniscus in his right knee in the preseason. This presented a starting opportunity for Darnold, who threw for a career-high 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns as the Vikings finished 14-3 before losing in the wild-card round.

However, despite these stellar numbers, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the front office decided to back McCarthy as their quarterback, prompting Darnold to join the Seattle Seahawks, where he will be playing in the Super Bowl this year.

J.J. McCarthy had another injury-riddled season, where he recorded 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 10 games. Starting McCarthy as the QB1, alongside his failures to build a competent roster through free agency and the draft, eventually led to the firing of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. With their GM fired, the Vikings’ ownership announced how the franchise plans to move forward through the 2026 offseason, with the NFL draft approaching.

Vikings’ ownership shares franchise’s plans after firing Kwesi Adofo-Mensah

Shortly after the firing, the Minnesota Vikings owners, Zygi and Mark Wilf, confirmed that Rob Brzezinski, the Vikings’ executive vice president of football operations, will take over the team’s front office through the upcoming draft in March.

“Effective immediately, Executive Vice President of Football Operations Rob Brzezinski will lead our operations through the 2026 NFL Draft,” the statement by Zygi and Mark Wilf said.

“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.”

The franchise will then start its search for a new general manager, as the Vikings hope to be back in playoff contention in the 2026 season.