Vikings fire general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah after four seasons following last playoff absence
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For the second time in four years, the Minnesota Vikings failed to advance to the NFL playoffs. While a 9-8 record in 2025 brought no immediate changes, Vikings ownership announced a major move on Friday.
In a statement, Vikings co-owners and brothers Zygi and Mark Wilf said the organization has decided to part ways with general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
“Following our annual end-of-season organizational meetings over the past few weeks and after careful consideration, we have decided that 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.”
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Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah before a game against the Detroit Lions at US Bank Stadium on Dec. 24, 2023, in Minneapolis. (Matt Krohn/Image Images)
The Wilfs also announced that Rob Brzezinski, the Vikings’ executive vice president of football operations, would run the front office until April’s NFL Draft. Shortly after the draft, the franchise will begin the search for its next full-time general manager.
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Adofo-Mensah spoke to the media for an end-of-season press conference on January 13. He performed routine general manager duties this week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Just seven months earlier, the Vikings announced a multi-year contract extension for Adofo-Mensah.
Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo‐Mensah during the NFL combine at the Indiana Convention Center on Feb. 28, 2023, in Indianapolis. (Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports)
While he was credited with building a roster that finished with winning records in three of his four seasons as general manager, Adofo-Mensah’s draft results have faced scrutiny at times. The selection of quarterback JJ McCarthy in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft drew particular scrutiny as injuries and uneven play limited his availability and production.
The Vikings failed to draft a player who became a Pro Bowler at any point between 2022 and 2025, one of 11 NFL teams to do so.
Minnesota Vikings co-owner Zygi Wilf, left, and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah talk on the sidelines before a game on Nov. 27, 2023, in Minneapolis. (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
Adofo-Mensah replaced Rick Spielman, who was fired in 2022. Spielman first joined the Vikings in 2006 as the team’s vice president of player personnel before his promotion to general manager in 2012.
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Adofo-Mensah played basketball while he was a student at Princeton. He brought an analytics-focused approach to Minnesota, having worked in an analytics role with the San Francisco 49ers in 2013. Prior to accepting the role with the Vikings, Adofo-Mensah was vice president of football operations for the Cleveland Browns.
The Vikings have the 18th pick in this year’s draft.
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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for News Digital.