The Minnesota Vikings shook up their front office Friday by dismissing general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah — a surprising move given he had signed an extension only months earlier. The decision follows a string of missteps in free agency and the draft, most conspicuously the handling of the quarterback position, which many view as the chief reason for his ouster.
Adofo-Mensah traded up to select Michigan State’s JJ McCarthy with the No. 10 pick in the 2024 draft and subsequently moved on from Sam Darnold the next offseason, installing McCarthy as the starter. McCarthy’s 2025 season was a mixed bag: he finished 6-4 as a starter but missed several games with injury and struggled for much of the year. Meanwhile Darnold continued to perform well elsewhere, culminating in a Super Bowl run with Seattle — a contrast that underscored the frustration with Minnesota’s QB decisions and helped precipitate the GM change.
Owner Mark Wilf said the team will conduct a “thorough search” for a new general manager after the 2026 draft, while Rob Brzezinski, the executive vice president of football operations, will act as interim GM through that draft. That timeline carries important implications for McCarthy. A new GM arriving after the draft won’t have been involved in selecting McCarthy, making it easier for the team to move on if they choose — but because the hire comes after the draft, Minnesota also can’t count on adding a high-end quarterback this offseason.
Complicating matters further are the Vikings’ financial constraints: they currently sit well over the salary cap (about $48.9 million over) and hold the 18th pick in a class that’s expected to be light at the QB spot. That leaves the 2026 season looking like an audition for McCarthy — a chance to convince the next GM he’s the right long-term answer. If he replicates last year’s uneven play (overall completion rate around 58%, 11 TDs and 12 INTs), his runway in Minnesota could be very short. There was a promising late surge — McCarthy led the team to a 4-0 finish with a 100.4 passer rating, a higher completion percentage and improved touchdown-to-interception numbers — but the small-sample uptick may not be enough to erase earlier struggles.
Could the Vikings trade McCarthy this offseason? It’s possible but not straightforward. Brzezinski was with the organization when McCarthy was drafted, but it’s unclear whether he shares Adofo-Mensah’s conviction about the quarterback. With the QB market projected to be thin — several top prospects are accounted for or opted to stay in school — a 23-year-old McCarthy on a rookie deal could be appealing to a rebuilding team willing to bet on upside.
Teams that could be fits, according to the current landscape:
– Miami Dolphins: With uncertainty at the position after benching Tua Tagovailoa and new leadership from GM John Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley, Miami (picking No. 11) might prefer a cost-controlled option like McCarthy given their own cap pressure (roughly $30.3M over).
– Arizona Cardinals: Kyler Murray’s likely exit and a longer rebuild could push Arizona to consider a young QB rather than relying on a draft pick that might not yield a starter. McCarthy could be an upside lottery ticket amid weapons such as Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson.
– New York Jets: Holding high draft capital but missing out on some top QB prospects, the Jets could decide to prioritize other roster needs and pursue a trade for a young QB like McCarthy to bridge to a deeper 2027 QB class.
If Minnesota decides to move on from McCarthy, or simply wants to add competition, their options are limited by the cap. Some realistic targets include:
– San Francisco’s backup (referred to here as “Jones”): He filled in admirably last season (about a 5-3 record with a roughly 97.4 passer rating in eight games) and could be attractive because he tends to get playmakers involved. However, San Francisco would likely demand compensation and may extend him rather than trade him.
– Kirk Cousins: If he’s released or restructured elsewhere, Cousins could be a short-term, affordable veteran option. He’s not a long-term fix but could stabilize the position while the Vikings develop draft picks and young talent.
– A young, inexpensive free-agent option from Green Bay (referred to here as “Willis”): A 26-year-old who impressed in relief and in limited starts could draw interest if Minnesota can make the finances work; he showed efficiency and playmaking ability in a small sample last season and might appeal to a coaching staff that believes it can unlock more.
Fan take: This firing matters because a GM change usually means a new direction at the sport’s most important position, and JJ McCarthy’s future now hinges on a short window to prove he’s the answer. For NFL fans, Minnesota’s situation highlights how quickly teams can pivot at quarterback — and how those decisions ripple across the league’s draft, trade and free-agent markets.
