The Eyebrow-Raising QB Comments Echoing Around the Vikings Firing its GM
A grand takeaway from the decision to fire GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is that nailing the layups must happen. At No. 12 in 2022, the Vikings should have picked All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton instead of trading, a truth that has been discussed ad nauseam.
Are the recent QB comments from Adofo-Mensah another instance of missing a layup?
Back on January 13th, Adofo-Mensah stepped in front of the Minnesota media. Was there still an ongoing desire to have J.J. McCarthy functioning as the starting passer? Check out the answer: “I don’t know that that’s…I want the Vikings to achieve our goals. And I think one of those goals is to make playoff runs and do different things like that. I think he has the character and ability to be the person to do that for our organization; if I say that in 2026, that kind of binds us into a certain area.”
Afterwards, Adofo-Mensah uplifted the need to create a “deep competitive room” at quarterback.
J.J. McCarthy, The Fired GM, & The QB Comments
Maybe Adofo-Mensah was a bit gun shy.
In the past, he made comments that took on a life of their own. Almost certainty, the former Vikings executive didn’t expect his quip about pursuing a “competitive rebuild” to catch fire in the manner that it did. Looking around at other things he has said (champagne problem?) could lead to similar regret about how comments get pulled out of proportion, becoming a caricature of the original meaning.
But while choosing words carefully is undoubtedly a good thing, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could have done better when answering about his desire (or lack thereof) for Mr. McCarthy to come back as the QB1.
Consider, for instance, an imaginary example of affirming belief in McCarthy without crowning McCarthy: “Yes, of course, I want McCarthy to be the starter, but that’s ultimately a decision for the coaching staff and McCarthy himself. We’ll build up a deep, competitive QB position and McCarthy will work toward proving that he deserves to remain as the starter. All of us here will ensure that he has everything he needs to succeed.”
Now that would have been a better answer.
Obviously, being able to comment on the question close to a month after it got asked is much easier than thinking on the fly. But there’s the other side of things: Adofo-Mensah was (at the time he answered) working toward the end of his fourth season as an NFL GM. He had to know going into the presser that questions about McCarthy and the QB position more broadly were coming.
Also notable is that the McCarthy answer — or non-answer, depending on one’s perspective — is that it came on the heels of acknowledging a failure in not being able to retain Daniel Jones.
Standing back could therefore lead to a bleak assessment.
The Vikings were overconfident in their ability to retain Jones, contributing toward losing Jones to the Colts. Minnesota then pledged its allegiance to an unproven McCarthy. The loyalty was so strong that there was a failure to add legitimate competition. Sam Howell did get tossed into the mix, but he was never a serious threat. Carson Wentz eventually got signed, but adding a veteran journeyman in late August was no threat to the QB1 spot.
After all of that, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah couldn’t articulate a deep desire to see his No. 10 selection from 2024 continue as the starter into 2026.
Now, that’s not to say that the former GM didn’t have a plan. In no way is that true.
The QB comments didn’t get into these particulars, but Adofo-Mensah opted to enhance the roster is such a robust way so as to lift much of the burden off McCarthy’s shoulders for 2025. Most notably, there was the aggressive spending in the trenches. Adofo-Mensah therefore had a plan. In the absence of actual QB competition, the Vikings decided to give J.J. McCarthy all of the resources he could possibly require for success.
The plan failed. The Vikings missed the playoffs. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah then got fired. Whether J.J. McCarthy is the ongoing QB1 remains to be seen. NFL free agency begins in a touch more than a month.
Someday, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is going to get another shot in the NFL. He’ll need to handle the easy shots that come his way, such as committing toward a highly-picked passer without boxing himself into a corner.
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