BREAKING: Minnesota Vikings Fire GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah

The Vikings have fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, they announced on Friday.

The Vikings fired GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, per sources. pic.twitter.com/KhfS9B01Yg
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 30, 2026

Adofo-Mensah had been with the Vikings since 2022, when he was hired to replace Rick Spielman. He received a contract extension from Minnesota last offseason, but now the franchise is headed in a different direction after four years.

In confirming the news that was broken by various national insiders, the Vikings announced that longtime executive Rob Brzezinski will lead their football operations through this year's NFL draft in late April. There will be no immediate search for a new general manager. Instead, that will happen later this offseason.

"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," owners Mark and Zygi Wilf said in a statement. "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."

"Effective immediately, Executive Vice President of Football Operations Rob Brzezinski will lead our operations through the 2026 NFL Draft," the statement continues. "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 timing of this move is fairly stunning. Adofo-Mensah was just at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL evaluating draft prospects this week. The Vikings' season came to an end nearly a full month ago.

It's hard not to wonder if any behind-the-scenes tension may have contributed to this move.

"Throughout the season, there was talk about an underlying 'tension' in the Vikings' building in league circles," ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Friday. "One league source said it had been 'ugly' in Minnesota. Then today, the Vikings fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah."

Sep 28, 2025; Dublin, Ireland; Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah stands on the sidelines prior to a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers during an NFL International Series game at Croke Park. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

From a football standpoint, the Vikings have gone 43-25 in the regular season over the last four years under Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O'Connell, who were brought on board together in 2022. They reached the postseason twice and were knocked out in the first round both times.

Adofo-Mensah's biggest flaw during his Vikings tenure was his ability to identify and select impact players in the draft. No GM is perfect in the draft, which involves plenty of luck, but Adofo-Mensah's track record was particularly poor. His 2022 draft, in particular, was a spectacular flop. He traded back from 12 to 32 and took Lewis Cine, who was a bust. Andrew Booth Jr., Ed Ingram, and Brian Asamoah were also taken in the top 66 and did not pan out in Minnesota.

The Vikings' quarterback situation may have also been a factor here. Last offseason, the Vikings let Sam Darnold depart in free agency, only to see him reach the Super Bowl with the Seahawks this year. They tried to keep Daniel Jones around but saw him sign with the Colts and get off to a great start before getting injured. Meanwhile, J.J. McCarthy struggled mightily in his first season of action.

This is a developing story.