Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is out as the Minnesota Vikings general manager, just a year after he signed an extension. The Vikings missed out on the playoffs, despite a five-game winning streak and 9-8 finish to the 2025 season. In one year, the Vikings went from top of the NFC to the bottom. Apparently, the Vikings brass turned to Adofo-Mensah as the fall guy for this year’s struggles.
It’s easy to point to Sam Darnold and how Minnesota chose the wrong quarterback by turning to J.J. McCarthy. Adofo-Mensah could be scapegoated for that, especially if it was his final decision. Then Darnold’s Super Bowl run really was the final straw.
Throughout the season, there was talk about an underlying “tension” in the Vikings’ building in league circles. One league source said it had been “ugly” in Minnesota. Then today, the Vikings fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. https://t.co/3abjgTdtY8
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 30, 2026
According to several reports, tensions increased between Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings to the point that his firing felt imminent. He was in Mobile, Alabama at the Senior Bowl this week when the decision came down making the timing even crazier.
What other ripple effects is Sam Darnold having on the NFL?
Sam Darnold's example will force teams to be more patient with young QBs
Darnold failed with the Jets and Panthers before his true ability was allowed to shine. That fact alone will force teams to rethink their quarterback strategy. Maybe the Indianapolis Colts don’t give up on Anthony Richardson just yet. Sure, Daniel Jones proved just how much work Richardson needs to become a starter in the NFL. But the Colts can’t afford to let Richardson walk and find out that another team knows how to help him mature as an NFL quarterback.
It’s the cheaper option too, considering he’s played himself out of a fifth-year option and out of a hefty rookie extension. The same could be said for the Cleveland Browns, who have to decide between Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel.
That said, not every quarterback falls in this category. The Vikings had Darnold in their locker room and let him walk for nothing because of two bad games. NFL teams will be forced to be more patient with their quarterbacks which is a good and bad thing. The good is it allows them to fully flush out their quarterback room. The bad is if it’s the wrong choice, it could set them back some years.
When do NFL teams decide to rebuild or reset with their current QB situation
Right about now, Minnesota is regretting putting faith in McCarthy over Darnold. Other front offices will have to think the Vikings while dealing with their own situations. How do you decide when to build around what you have under center or simply do a full reset? The Vikings opted for the latter and ended up five wins worse than they did a season ago and with more quarterback questions than concerns.
If they were patient with Darnold and paid him a similar contract to what Seattle gave him, maybe they could have reaped the benefits. What Minnesota forgot is that last year was Darnold’s first playoff appearance as a starting quarterback. They didn’t really give him a chance to fail and let the pressure of paying him overwhelm them.
Are there other teams that will have that same mindset? The Houston Texans now have every reason to believe in C.J. Stroud, even with his playoff dud this year. The Jacksonville Jaguars cut their losses and just stuck with Trevor Lawrence. They built around him and are in a better position for it. Patience is key with NFL quarterbacks. Darnold needed more time to develop, and now he has a Super Bowl appearance.
Patience is the ultimate weapon for NFL quarterbacks
Would Tampa Bay be where they are if they gave up on Baker Mayfield? Carolina with Bryce Young? There’s a lot more that goes into having a successful quarterback outside of just raw talent. Things like scheme fit, protection, confidence and even patience. All these are exterior factors that can be the difference in a quarterback’s development.
The Vikings' struggle with McCarthy right now centers around confidence and patience. They brought this upon themselves by missing the mark on Darnold. But Young was written off and benched midseason. He rebounded to take the Panthers to the NFL playoffs.
Caleb Williams’ full potential wasn’t tapped until he got with an offensive mind like Ben Johnson, which helped this offense look competent for the first time in years. Same for Drake Maye and how Josh McDaniels turned him into an MVP candidate. Sometimes, the scheme is more important than the player.