For every crater on the moon, there’s a reason the Minnesota Vikings could’ve fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. From poor drafts to questionable trades and the reported fracture between himself and the coaching staff, there was no shortage of impetus to move on. So, rather than letting Adofo-Mensah and the coaches duke it out in a “Hell in a Cell” brawl inside of TCO, Minnesota opted to let the GM go.

It was a bizarre move, not for the reasons, but for the timing. Four days ago, it seemed as though the Vikings were preparing for a fairly straightforward offseason with Adofo-Mensah at the helm. Clean up the salary cap issues, sign a few free agents, and make a draft pick that will be out of the league in two years. Simple.

But now the Vikings roster is a crumbling collection of players, sculpted by hands that no longer possess the clay, and the potential for a reset just went up exponentially.

The Vikings are always looking to be competitive, something that won’t change under the current ownership, so a full rebuild won’t be on the table. But being competitive year after year comes with a hidden cost. Of course, there are obvious drawbacks to going 9-8 and missing the playoffs, like draft position. Still, the Vikings have a bigger issue that they can address with head coach Kevin O’Connell taking the reins.

Minnesota undoubtedly has a talented roster, but it almost feels like a collection of good players who don’t exactly fit together in one big puzzle. From top to bottom, it’s unquestionably a top-half roster in the league, but oftentimes it looked like the parts were greater than the sum.

It’s a direct reflection of the push and pull that O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah had regarding roster construction. While it’s impossible to know whose “guys” were whose, there are some strange fits – like paying a blocking tight end $24 million to be on a team that doesn’t run. Josh Oliver is a very talented player, but was it the best use of funds? Debatable.

Now, longtime executive Rob Brzezinski will guide the Viking ship forward, at least from a logistical standpoint. But it’s fair to assume O’Connell will have a considerable voice during free agency and the upcoming draft. The Wilfs have made it clear that they’ll back O’Connell heading into this offseason, and their decision to wait to hire a general manager until after the draft shows their full support for him. So, although there are surprise cuts and moves every year, the 2026 offseason might be one of the more unusual springs in recent memory.

Kevin O’Connell could take an aggressive approach and work to get more of his players in and Adofo-Mensah’s out. After all, there’s a world where he’s coaching for his job this year. If things turn sour and the Vikings miss the playoffs for the third time in his five-year tenure, there would be no shortage of fans calling for Minnesota to move on. Maybe O’Connell knows his seat is cooler than that, but if not, why wouldn’t he get ambitious right from the get-go?

It’s already been widely reported that O’Connell wasn’t fully on board to start J.J. McCarthy in 2025, believing that the young quarterback wasn’t ready yet. However, O’Connell seemed to be a driving factor in bringing the Michigan signal-caller to Minnesota. The question now is, does he think McCarthy will be ready for 2026?

If O’Connell still isn’t fully bought in, the Vikings could do much more than simply bring in a solid veteran to compete. O’Connell has his exit ramp if he wants to turn on the blinker.

On defense, Brian Flores will finally get to employ 11 edge rushers on the field at all times. Because while O’Connell will clearly have the final say on offense, the Vikings didn’t just make Flores the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the NFL for no reason. You can bet that he’ll also be looking to make his mark on the roster.

On the one hand, the offseason might feel calmer. There will surely be fewer trades than the typical Adofo-Mensah spring, but things could also feel more chaotic. With O’Connell seemingly in a Bill Belichickian role now, he could shake up the roster quite a bit in an attempt to build his own team.

The Vikings are on a completely different course from the one they were taking just days ago. That brings an opportunity to bring balance to The Force, or maybe just the roster, and build a more cohesive team. Kevin O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah built strong, competitive rosters, but they also lacked true harmony. The tree’s branches just never fully grew together. Maybe now Minnesota can assemble a team that fits O’Connell’s vision, even if it requires some trimming.