It’s been quite chaotic on my end over the past two weeks, so this article was delayed. Anything big happen while I was away?
Many words can be used to describe the Minnesota Vikings – “boring” will never be one of them.
Just when we thought we’d settle into the usual post-season/pre-draft lull, the Wilfs, channeling the great Lee Corso, said, “Not so fast, my friend!”
Out of seemingly nowhere, due to incredibly odd timing, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was let go as the Vikings’ general manager, sending shockwaves not only through the fan base but also across the entire NFL landscape.
The DN is the best NFL team-based site on the Internet, IMHO, so there’s nothing of substance I can add that hasn’t already been thoroughly dissected, discussed, and analyzed by Chris, Mark, Warren, the podcast guys, etc., in an outstanding way. All I can do is offer my Average Joe fan thoughts on tales everyone’s already heard.
I have zero interest in online (often conflicting) rumors about internal power struggles, ultimatums, personnel disagreements, and similar matters. There are plenty of Vikings-related social media accounts to go to for that. For this article, I’ll try to keep the focus largely on what we know.
THE KAM TENURE: A RECAP
The Record: Good, But Not Good Enough: At 43-25, the Vikings are tied with the 49ers and Ravens for the fifth-best regular-season record in the NFL since KAM took over. They probably pass the Lions (45) and possibly tie or pass the Chiefs (46) if Kirk Cousins doesn’t go down on that crappy Lambeau Field turf in 2023.
The problem, of course, was the 0-2 playoff record when the Vikings went in as favorites in both contests. One of them wasn’t even competitive. The Wilfs have owned the team for over 20 years and have won only three playoff games, tying for 26th in that timeframe. Heck, even the New York Jets have more.
When you’ve done everything in your power as an owner to win a Super Bowl in this league, from spending in free agency to consistently ranking at or near the top in NFLPA surveys on the best facilities, treatment of families, and overall quality of NFL life, you expect something in return in January.
The Draft: A Bit Better Recently, But 2022 Loomed Large: The 2022 draft was such a monumental disaster that even great improvement could look like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Again, KAM’s record improved, but it remained comfortably in negative territory overall.
The good? KAM has put together some solid first-round hits since 2022. While J.J. McCarthy remains a work in progress, Jordan Addison has been great, Dallas Turner has had his breakout season, and Donovan Jackson put together a solid rookie campaign despite battling multiple injuries. Beyond that, the “hits” have been few and far between: Jalen Nailor, LDR, and, of course, the baby-faced assassin with the stellar hair, Will Reichard, are the only ones I can honestly put in that category while still maintaining a semblance of objectivity.
The bad? Not listing the “misses.” We know who they are. The list is, ummm, longer. In the end, I saw this statistic that sums it up well: In the last four drafts, the Vikings have gotten only 172 total starts from draft picks, which is the second fewest in the NFL over that span.
That’s simply not good enough and is a major contributing factor in the parting of ways. It’s also why respected front-office veteran Matt Thomas was brought out of retirement to assist interim general manager Rob Brzezinski ahead of the upcoming NFL draft.
Free Agency/Salary Cap: Strong but Unsustainable: Free agency is meant to supplement the draft, not replace it. Unfortunately, that became the case out of necessity during KAM’s tenure.
After navigating the Kirk Cousins issue well and moving on from popular but aging Zimmer mainstays (Kendricks, Thielen, Barr, etc.), the Vikings freed up cap space while remaining competitive ahead of what proved to be a historically great 2024 free-agent class. How good was it? KAM brought in Jonathan Greenard, Blake Cashman, Andrew Van Ginkel, Aaron Jones, Sam Darnold, Shaquill Griffin, Stephon Gilmore, and Jihad Ward for a combined $148.6 million, including $90.6 million guaranteed. That’s $31.4 million and $9.4 million less, respectively, than the Kirk Cousins deal with the Atlanta Falcons.
But when you hit those highs, there’s nowhere to go but down. The 2025 class was more of a hit-or-miss affair, something a team can’t really afford when getting so few starts from multiple draft classes (see above). It also deviated somewhat from the previous strategy of signing analytical/schematically sound starters to manageable deals as they entered or were in their primes. Isaiah Rodgers was the clear exception, and it paid great dividends, as he had a really strong season as a first-time starter (73.8 PFF grade). The deals for Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen are far more in terms of commitment and guaranteed money than those for proven veterans such as Patrick Peterson and Stephon Gilmore, for example. Ryan Kelly was closer to the previous strategy, and I’m optimistic the Will Fries signing will pay off in the end with new position leadership. Yeah, I have thoughts. But that’s a conversation for another time.
In the end, KAM left the Vikings in a less-than-ideal cap situation this offseason, but far from the disaster some have portrayed it as. The NFL salary cap is projected to jump by $22 to $26.5 million per team for the upcoming year. According to Over the Cap, the Vikings are fifth in the NFL in their ability to free up cap space through simple restructures of existing deals ($104.3 million). Of course, that can create other problems, but the toolkit is not barren. While the free agency spending spree of the past two years isn’t going to happen, there will be resources to improve the roster in the most pressing areas.
“The Decision” (No, Not the LeBron James One): We’re talking about Sam Darnold. That would be Super Bowl Champion quarterback Sam Darnold. Listen, I’ve been on this for a while now. Nothing has changed. Allow me to quote an incredibly wise and handsome fella who looks shockingly like, well, myself:
Am I disappointed with how the 2025 season has gone? Definitely. Am I going to get all riled up at KAM for it? Nope. Why? Because I wouldn’t have done much differently if I were GM after the Vikings walked off the field following the playoff debacle against the Rams.
The calculation with McCarthy was sound. Given KOC’s track record and the fact that he’d been in the building for a year, the argument in favor of a 2024 Daniels/Nix-type season or a 2023 C.J. Stroud campaign was convincing.
Hindsight is 20/20, and this second-guessing of Sam Darnold is too much. The guy was persona non grata with the overwhelming majority of the fanbase after his spectacular implosion. Say he was brought back at the expense of delaying the McCarthy era by another year. What would the response have been? Exactly. Daniel Jones wanted to start and took less money in exchange for the best opportunity to do so. And don’t even get me started on Aaron Rodgers. Please.
But I am just a guy with a laptop who writes articles about the Vikings. KAM got paid the big bucks to get decisions like that right. Especially that one. It’s the name of the game.
The Wilfs can talk about timelines and the decision-making process, but the timing of KAM’s firing raised eyebrows. Literally everything was known the moment the clock struck zero in Week 18. Things were going on as normal: end-of-year press conferences, Senior Bowl attendance, etc. The only thing that changed was Darnold playing the game of his life in the NFC Championship Game and leading the Seahawks to the Super Bowl. Would KAM still have a job if Darnold played poorly and lost? I can’t dismiss it out of hand.
WHERE WE GO FROM HERE
Given that a new GM won’t be hired until after free agency and the draft conclude, there’ll be plenty of time to discuss it. I’ve seen various names being floated: George Paton, Ed Dobbs, Alec Halaby, etc. We’ll see how it plays out.
It’s Now or Never for KOC: With KAM taking the fall for the lack of playoff success since 2022, the spotlight is now solely on KOC – and he must come through. He will now be on a different trajectory than whoever the Wilfs bring in as the new general manager. He will not be their hire, and the blame for another underachieving season will fall squarely on KOC’s feet, not on the new front office leadership. Moreover, the new GM will not be here until after free agency and the draft, so KOC should logically have disproportionate input into roster construction.
Brian Flores is back. Talent is everywhere. It’s time. A playoff win must be the floor next season. By January 2027, it will have been seven freakin’ years since we last tasted playoff victory. I’m tired of waiting. I’m not alone.
“The Decision” 2.0 Awaits: Everyone will focus on the quarterback position this offseason, as they should. My view remains: patience with J.J. McCarthy is paramount. I have nothing but my gut feeling on this, but after the 2025 season, support for this viewpoint has only strengthened.
Even those currently viewed as the top QBs in the 2024 draft class weren’t without their hiccups and room for development. Drake Maye struggled mightily in the playoffs, posting an 82.2 passer rating, taking 21 sacks, and committing 8 turnovers. Caleb Williams had a strong season, but even with Ben Johnson, he was near the bottom among starters in completion percentage (58.1%) and below average in yards per attempt (6.9). Of course, this says nothing about the benefits of a defense that forced a flukey number of turnovers, which will not happen again next season.
These things take time.
After returning from the concussion in Week 14, McCarthy’s performance was encouraging, to say the least. In what amounted to three full games, he completed 64% of his passes for 703 yards (8.4 YPA), 5 TDs, and 2 INTs, along with 61 rushing yards and 2 rushing TDs. Digging deeper, this ranked 5th in EPA/play, 3rd in success rate, 2nd in big-time throw percentage, and 6th in EPA+CPOE composite. The trend was indeed quite positive.
The injury concerns are legitimate and problematic. The record shows you can’t enter the season expecting McCarthy not to miss time. It is what it is. That’s why you bring in a proven NFL starter as insurance, one who not only fits KOC’s system but also has a track record of winning games in the league. As noted, there is no margin for error. Half measures won’t suffice. So, no developmental options like Will Levis or Anthony Richardson. If KOC wants to put his job in the hands of Mac Jones, he’d better be sure he’d get the best version we’ve seen and more. If he fits, go for it. If the medical staff thinks Daniel Jones could be ready by training camp and prepared by Week 1, pursue that. If that means Kirk Cousins, then so be it.
I want nothing to do with Aaron Rodgers at this point. I don’t care if it’s only a 3rd-round pick; taking on Kyler Murray’s salary and his 38-48-1 career record doesn’t do it for me. If he’s released outright, then absolutely put him in the above options. The same goes for Tua Tagovailoa.
Unless Joe Burrow (unlikely) or Lamar Jackson (even less likely) becomes available, not giving McCarthy every opportunity to prove the doubters wrong would be ill-advised. I just think the guy has the “it” factor. Last season was difficult, even ugly at times, but it was not without hope. We’ve become accustomed to highly touted, Top 10-drafted QBs coming in and succeeding right away. I definitely fell into that trap before last season. But sometimes you have to take a detour to reach the same destination. Aristotle is often credited with the observation, “Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” Or was it Sam Darnold?
But as I said, I’m just a jabroni fan who watches the games. KOC is the guy who won the NFL Coach of the Year. If he decides McCarthy isn’t the guy in 2026, so be it. If ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler is correct, the Vikings will be the preferred destination for many of the top quarterbacks on the market. That means KOC will have plenty of options. But he can’t afford to get it wrong. Ask KAM.
Whatever the next several weeks bring, one thing is for sure: It won’t be boring.
Buckle up.
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