Vikings' decision to extend GM's contract indicates things are going according to plan
Kwesi-Adofo Mensah's contract extension finally happened Friday, and to no one's surprise, owners Mark and Zygi Wilf both cited collaboration between the GM and coach Kevin O'Connell as a key.
The Vikings surprised no one by firing coach Mike Zimmer a day after the conclusion of the 2021 season. The same wasn’t necessarily true when general manager Rick Spielman was dismissed on the same day. There were many, including Spielman, who thought his job was safe until owners Mark and Zygi Wilf informed him otherwise.
Showing both Zimmer and Spielman the door was the right move given how things had fallen apart. The Vikings had finished with an 8-9 record and missed the playoffs for a second consecutive season in part because the GM and coach were no longer talking.
It was reported they had quit speaking months earlier, and that Zimmer walked out of the room and left the building after Spielman selected quarterback Kellen Mond in the third round of the 2021 draft.
The mistrust in this relationship likely dated to Spielman’s decision to sign free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins to a three-year, $84 million free agent contract in March 2018. Zimmer had talked about the pitfalls of signing a quarterback to that type of contract a month earlier at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Zimmer’s message: Paying Cousins would mean the Vikings couldn’t afford to address other needs because of the NFL’s salary cap. Spielman’s message: I don’t care, we have a team coming off a run to the NFC title game and are a quality quarterback away from a Super Bowl.
Ultimately, Zimmer was proven to be correct but that didn’t matter. What mattered was that the trust between the GM and coach was gone. Once they stopped collaborating, things went downhill.
That brings us to Friday’s announcement that Spielman’s replacement, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, had signed a multiyear contract to continue as the Vikings’ general manager. This came four-plus months after coach Kevin O’Connell agreed to a reported five-year contract.
In a press release issued by the Vikings, the Wilfs offered quotes on Adofo-Mensah’s contract extension and to no one’s surprise both mentioned the collaboration they have witnessed. “Kwesi’s commitment to building a championship-caliber team and his ability to collaborate effectively and make bold, calculated decisions has positioned the Vikings for long-term success,” Zygi Wilf said.
Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell, who were initially signed to four-year deals, have led the Vikings to double-digit win totals and two playoff appearances in two of their first three seasons. They have turned over a roster that was aging and allowed Cousins and then Sam Darnold to walk as they turn over the quarterback job to 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy.
McCarthy, who missed his rookie season because of a torn meniscus in his right knee, will step into a situation without much margin for error. The Vikings have lost in the first-round in each of their two playoff appearances under O’Connell and spent more than $300 million in free agency in March. This included overhauling the interior of the offensive line and rebuilding the defensive line. Running back Jordan Mason was acquired in a trade with San Francisco to complement veteran Aaron Jones.
The Vikings are being picked to finish third or fourth in the NFC North by a few, but internally it’s clear this team believes it can make a playoff run.