Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell and G.M. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah were hired in the same cycle. With contracts of the same duration.
After the 2024 season ended, O’Connell received a new deal. Adofo-Mensah is still waiting for his.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Adofo-Mensah downplayed the fact that he has yet to get his new deal.
Via Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com, Adofo-Mensah said that “positive dialogue” has occurred between ownership and his agent. And he took some of the blame for the delay.
“It’s probably on me that it’s not going quicker because I wake up every morning focused on the things that I need to focus on to get this team to where they want to go,” Adofo-Mensah said.
He was asked whether he reads anything into O’Connell having his reward while Adofo-Mensah has yet to get the same. He said he doesn’t.
He shouldn’t. O’Connell’s contract became a priority in light of the reality that other teams were indeed (as Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported on the final Sunday of the regular season) interested in trying to trade for O’Connell. The O’Connell wheel was squeaking, and it got greased. For Adofo-Mensah, there’s no external urgency forcing the issue.
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. 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.
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.
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