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The Minnesota Vikings have yet to solve the biggest riddle of their offseason. So, until they reel in the new veteran quarterback the so desperately need, we have no choice but to defer judgement on 2026 and beyond.
That doesn’t mean we haven’t had plenty of action, in the meantime. The Vikings have shuffled multiple assistant coaches in and out, but the top of Minnesota’s coaching pyramid remains intact.
Kevin O’Connell is still the head coach and will continue to call plays on offense. Wes Phillips also returns for his fourth year as KOC’s offensive coordinator.
On the other side of the football, defensive coordinator Brian Flores is coming back too, though his return wasn’t that simple. B-Flo was a coaching free agent this offseason and only came back after shopping his talents around on the open market best he could.
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Flores took head coaching interviews in Pittsburgh and Baltimore, even a DC interview in Washington, before the Wilfs made him the richest defensive coordinator in the NFL.
In the front office, it’s been a much different situation. In fact, just days after Flores’ return became official, the biggest news of the MN Vikings offseason broke — the firing of general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
Given his struggles in the draft and other areas of football operations, Kwesi’s dismissal was not all that surprising, other than the timing. Rarely are top NFL decision-makers canned just weeks before the scouting combine and the start of NFL free agency.
Did Brian Flores get Kwesi Adofo-Mensah fired?
But maybe there was more to the timing between Flores extension and Adofo-Mensah’s firing? Well, that’s the “buzz” coming out of TCO Performance Center, according to longtime local insider Charley “Shooter” Walters (Pioneer Press), who’s hearing that Flores “wasn’t a fan” of the Vikings’ former GM.
There’s buzz that the reason it took so long for the Vikings to re-sign Flores ($6 million a year) is that he wasn’t a fan of Adofo-Mensah.
Charley Walters – Pioneer Press
There were a lot of questions surrounding why Brian Flores was open to other defensive coordinator jobs this offseason. Then, just days after his return was officially announced, Adofo-Mensah became the only leader in the Minnesota Vikings organization to lose his job over the failures of 2025.
Coincidence? Probably not, which is what makes Walters’ report so intriguing. If Flores’ return was dependent on Kwesi’s exit, the timing of Adofo-Mensah’s suddenly makes a lot more sense.
Instead of hiring Adofo-Mensah’s permanent replacement ASAP, the Minnesota Vikings named Rob Brzezinski as the interim GM, and won’t conduct their search until after the NFL Draft.
When should we expect a new Minnesota Vikings general manager?
What Walters doesn’t know is whether or not the Wilfs are trying to bring in an established GM who will come in as the clear top dog in the Vikings tree of hierarchy, or if they’ll try to hire someone who will split decision-making duties.
Either way, Charley doesn’t expect a new Vikings head of football operations to be named until May, well after most key offseason decisions have already been made.
Meanwhile, what we don’t know yet is what the Wilfs are really thinking. Do they plan to bring in a general manager with stature who can lead the organization and actually push back against opinions from coach Kevin O’Connell or defensive coordinator Brian Flores? Or are the Wilfs looking for a GM who will defer to O’Connell? The head coach is now the guy with the real power.
We won’t know the answers until early May, when the new GM is expected to be hired.
Charley Walters – Pioneer Press
Mentioned in this article: Brian Flores Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
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