Kevin O’Connell has been the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings for the past four years. His general manager has been Kwesi Adofo-Mensah for all four of them, but this will no longer be the case in the 2026 NFL season. The general manager was fired during the offseason, and according to a former scout, the head coach wanted it.
Kevin O’Connell Reportedly Played a Role in Vikings’ Firing of GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
The Vikings had a disappointing 2025 NFL season, failing to make the playoffs after reaching them the year before. This likely contributed to the franchise deciding to make a major change to their leadership, but O’Connell retained his role as head coach, while Adofo-Mensah was fired from their general manager position.
Former NFL scout John Middlekauff recently reported on the situation and gave his take on the Vikings’ ultimate decision. He explained that O’Connell likely got exactly what he wanted out of a change to this role in Minnesota.
“Kevin O’Connell wanted him gone. If he liked him and enjoyed working with him and wanted him around, he would still be around… He got fired because the coaches wanted him out, and it was pretty easy to justify it when you look at his track record,” stated Middlekauff.
Middlekauff made it clear that he believes the Vikings’ coaching staff, including O’Connell, wanted Adofo-Mensah out, mainly because of his massive failures in the NFL Draft. He pointed out that he has consistently missed on his chosen prospects and had many numbers to prove it.
This includes a lack of Pro Bowl players, as many overall draft busts as almost any other team, and one of the lowest conversion rates for rookie contributors this past season.
The former scout also referenced that the Vikings play in the NFC North, one of the toughest divisions in the NFL as currently constructed. All four teams entered the 2025 season as legitimate playoff contenders, and all four of them have made at least one postseason appearance over the past two years.
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The quarterback position this year is one of the biggest examples of Adofo-Mensah seemingly making the wrong decision, and ultimately, why they finished in last place in the division.
O’Connell had massive success with Sam Darnold last year, but they let him walk during the offseason to open the door for J.J. McCarthy to be their starter. He finished just 37th in PFSN NFL QB Impact Rankings among quarterbacks, while Darnold won the NFC Championship with the Seattle Seahawks this year.
