First, it was coach Kevin O’Connell. Now, Vikings G.M. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has received his reward for three solid seasons on the job.
NFL Media reports that the Vikings have signed Adofo-Mensah to a “multiyear contract extension.”
That tells us the bare minimum. It’s at least two years on top of the one year he had remaining on his contract. Is his contract aligned with O’Connell’s? We don’t know now, and may never know.
The delay between O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah getting their respective deals is likely meaningless. For O’Connell, who reportedly was drawing interest from teams looking for coaches, there was an urgency to get his deal done before he entered a contract year. Adofo-Mensah had not been linked to any other franchise, giving the team the luxury of time.
The Vikings have made it to the playoffs in two of Adofo-Mensah’s three seasons. The next step is to win a playoff game — something they haven’t done since the 2019 season.
The ultimate goal is to get back to a Super Bowl, obviously. Since last making it in 1976, Minnesota is 0-6 in the NFC Championship.
Whether that happens hinges heavily on whether 2024 firs-rounder J.J. McCarthy becomes the first true franchise quarterback the Vikings have had since Daunte Culpepper and, before that, Fran Tarkenton.