Yesterday, the Minnesota Vikings fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. The timing of this happening is unique because it’s the end of Minnesota’s offseason and he’s in Mobile, Alabama, all week for the Senior Bowl. I think there may be something deeper going on here. Let me explain.
Was the Seattle Seahawks’ success the reason Adofo-Mensah was fired?
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Sam Darnold plays at Minnesota in 2024, throwing for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He signed a one-year, $10 million contract in March of that year and became a pending free agent last offseason before signing a three-year, $100.5 million deal with the Seahawks. This happened shortly after they traded Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders.
It’s no secret to fans that Minnesota should work with Darnold on a contract. It’s believed the Vikings were ranked much lower than the Seahawks, which is why he chose the Seahawks. Did Adolf-Mensah ever think that Darnold should be given the franchise tag? Is there any? The tag last offseason was worth $40.2 million, but it will keep Darnold here regardless. This opens up three different scenarios.
First, Darnold is getting more money than he got from Seattle, giving the team more time to make a decision or make room to extend his contract. The Vikings went 14-3 with Darnold under center before losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round. Don’t we think Darnold would have produced better results with another year in this system?
Secondly, Darnold said, I’m not playing with the franchise tag; You need to extend my time at the price I want. If they can’t come to an agreement, you can trade him. While it’s not ideal, you’re at least getting something out of him so he’s not walking for free. Darnold still gets to choose where he plays next, but at least you’ll get some draft capital in return to help bolster this roster.
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Or, now call me crazy, you just pay the guy. You figure out how to free up another $10 million and meet with Seattle at that price and guarantee more money. You just watched him have a career year, why don’t you empty your pockets to pay him? I know JJ McCarthy is there, but unless you think McCarthy leads you to an equal or better record, you’re going to pay Darnold.
So why are the Seattle Seahawks blamed for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s firing?
Just look at their success this season. He threw for 4,048 yards and a TD/INT ratio of 25/14, but was a monster in the playoffs. Minnesota brass saw this and figured it was them, blaming Adofo-Mensah for not doing more to come to a deal. It cannot be ignored. Seattle has found their franchise player and is on the verge of a Super Bowl victory, while Minnesota is still trying to figure out the quarterback position.
Everything could have been so simple. Instead, Minnesota has now lost its general manager and has to watch their former quarterback potentially hoist the Lombardi Trophy after a year away.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Did the Vikings fire their general manager because of Seahawks success?