Less than a month after he was fired by the Minnesota Vikings, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has landed another job in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers.
49ers general manager John Lynch, speaking Tuesday at the Indianapolis Convention Center for the NFL Scouting Combine, confirmed that Adofo-Mensah is returning to San Francisco in an executive role within the personnel department. His official title will be announced after the NFL Draft.
The Vikings fired Adofo-Mensah on Jan. 30. Being fired more than three weeks after the season ended was odd timing from the Vikings, who have since handed Rob Brzezenski the interim general manager role, with no plans to announce a formal general manager hire until after the draft.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell met with reporters in Indianapolis on Tuesday, marking his first public comments since Adofo-Mensah was fired. He described his four years with Adofo-Mensah as “really impactful.”
“His relationship with myself, and mine with him, is always going to be important to me. It was always strong, and it will maintain that strength long after we’re done working together. That’s what we try to do here,” O’Connell told Vikings Entertainment Network’s Tatum Everett.
Brzezinski, whose official title is executive vice president of football operations, is entering his 28th season with the Vikings. He echoed O’Connell’s feelings about Adofo-Mensah.
“We all loved Kwesi. He had a profound impact on our organization, so that change was hard,” he said.
Dec 7, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell during the first half at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
Neither O’Connell nor Brzezinski revealed who will have the final say when it comes to roster decisions, but both said it’ll be about finding a way to “align personnel” to put the roster together.
“To me, it’s so much about the evaluation. It’s about the fit. It’s about working together with our coaches and then obviously with our personnel staff, both our college scouts, our pro side, to make sure we are doing our best to articulate what we need to do improve as a team, but then finding the fits,” O’Connell explained.
“There’s a lot going on and nothing operates in a vacuum, so it requires complete alignment and communication,” Brzezinski said. “I’m in his hip pocket as much as I can be.”
The biggest decision they will make will be who they bring in to start at quarterback, or at least compete with 23-year-old J.J. McCarthy for the starting job.
“We want the best competition. And the quarterback room, there’s no room more important. We’re going to look under every stone to have the best option in that room with J.J.,” Brzezinski said.
O’Connell, in a separate interview with Vikings beat reporters in Indianapolis, was asked if he still views McCarthy as a franchise quarterback.
“A lot of those feelings are still the same,” O’Connell said. “It’s just the timeline is in a different place for all of us than it was at that point (in 2024).”
It’s going to be an interesting week in Indy, followed by another 10 days before the legal tampering period opens on March 11, with free agents beginning to sign contracts on March 13.