Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell’s contract was extended in January, and to date, his boss has not followed suit.
Vikings GM Not Afraid of Popular Controversy
That’s right, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has one year left on his existing deal, but unlike his head coach, that’s it.
Correspondingly, many have wondered, “What’s the hold up?” But according to Adofo-Mensah personally, it’s “no big deal,” and the extension will arrive before too long.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Talks Extension at Press Conference
Adofo-Mensah isn’t sweating his long-term status with the Vikings one bit. “Just like what we say with player contracts. It’s a process. These things take time. A contract is a chance for people to come together at a table and find solutions for the things they want to solve,” he told reporters.
“So, that’s what we do. I trust people to do that for me, and I promise you I don’t wake up thinking about that for one second. I wake up thinking about ‘How do we improve this team? How do we beat the other teams in our division? How do we get to the playoffs, and how do we go further?’ That’s one of those things.”
An eventual extension sounded rather elementary.
He added, “We’re all aligned the same way — myself, the Wilfs, the Vikings, my family. Everybody is aligned. If I go out and do my very best and focus all of my being toward that, everything’s going to work out. That’s how I believe in my life, and that’s how I’ll continue to believe.”
Kevin O’Connell Connected to the Team for 5 More Years
When O’Connell reached an extension in January, the powers that be of NFL media claimed that Adofo-Mensah’s would soon follow.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted on January 21st, “More years in Minnesota: Vikings and head coach Kevin O’Connell have reached an agreement on a multi-year contract extension, per sources. He was scheduled to be entering the last year of his contract, but no longer. Now that their head coach extension is done, the Vikings also working an extension for their GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.”
The Adofo-Mensah part has not come to fruition over two months later, leading to speculation about why it’s taking so long.
Some Think No Extension for Adofo-Mensah Is Bad
Pro Football Talk‘s Mike Florio claimed Wednesday after the press conference that no extension for Adofo-Mensah is detrimental. “It’s still not a great look for the team. Even if Adofo-Mensah knows the truth, the message is not ideal. If the Vikings plan to keep him, they should prioritize getting it done,” Florio opined.
“The fact that O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah are operating on two different tracks feeds the perception (right or wrong) that there might be competing agendas. That folks aren’t on the same page. That, ultimately, it’s unclear who’s running the show.”
In reality, extensions don’t tunnel along a succinct path and often take time. For example, Justin Jefferson’s 2024 extension didn’t come together until late spring.
“So the sooner they get this deal done, the better for everyone. Especially since outsiders will be less inclined to wonder whether the guy without a long-term contract is inclined to maximize short-term performance and the guy with a five-year commitment is inclined to build for the future,” Florio concluded.
Silly Draft Theory
Some Vikings fans have claimed that the team’s ownership “needs to see the 2025 NFL Draft” before committing to Adofo-Mensah for the long haul.
This, however, is silly because the Vikings ownership group won’t watch as the young executive drafts defensive tackle Walter Nolen, for example, and say the following Monday morning, “We see you drafted Walter Nolen, buddy. Nice knowin’ ya.”
Draft fallout can take years to adjudicate.
Contract extensions just linger, and Adofo-Mensah’s is not an outlier. The franchise isn’t waiting on a Holy Grail draft to finish his deal.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.