For Vikings, Everything Rides on Kevin O'Connell's Shoulders Now

In the wake of the Vikings firing general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on Friday and choosing not to hire a replacement until after the draft, one thing is clear: This franchise is going to sink or swim in 2026 with Kevin O'Connell at the controls.

Longtime executive Rob Brzezinski will officially manage football operations for the Vikings over the next three months. Other key figures in the front office, including assistant GMs Ryan Grigson and Demitrius Washington, will have input on decisions. The same can be said for key assistant coaches like Brian Flores and newcomer Frank Smith. But make no mistake: This offseason is KOC's baby.

O'Connell, the 2024 NFL Coach of the Year, has played a major role in personnel decisions for the entirety of his tenure alongside Adofo-Mensah. While the two seemed to be close and in alignment publicly, rumblings since Adofo-Mensah's firing have suggested there may have been disagreements and imperfect power dynamics in that relationship. For example, we don't know who ultimately signed off on last year's decisions to let Sam Darnold walk and hand the reins to J.J. McCarthy, with some rumors indicating that O'Connell had concerns about McCarthy's readiness.

The Vikings have now made their choice. After several weeks of deliberation from ownership, Adofo-Mensah was let go. Meanwhile, this is what owner Mark Wilf said about O'Connell on Friday: "We have all the confidence in the world in Coach O'Connell. He's done an excellent job as our head coach." Where other teams have fired their head coach this offseason and kept the GM around, the Vikings went the other way — and for understandable reasons.

Kevin O'Connell | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

O'Connell is the Vikings' head coach, but he's also essentially the CEO of the organization. After ownership, everything the team does moving forward begins with O'Connell. He's going to be the one leading the most important item on the franchise's agenda this offseason, which is how to address the quarterback position by either bringing in a high-level starter or adding competition for McCarthy. He'll have major influence on free agent signing and possible trades, especially involving players on the offensive side of the ball. And when it comes time to make draft picks in late April, it feels safe to assume O'Connell will have the final say in the war room.

This is a critical offseason for the Vikings, who need to bounce back and make the playoffs after a disappointing 2025. If that happens, it'll be because O'Connell had a great year. If they fall short again, KOC's seat will heat up. It's all on his shoulders now.

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