Firing general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wasn't altogether a surprising move by the Minnesota Vikings, since someone was lined up to take the fall for the disappointment of this season.
But the timing of the Vikings' decision was odd, and no amount of explanation is sufficient for the oddness of it. Especially after Adofo-Mensah was on the ground at this year's Senior Bowl in the days leading up to his firing.
In concert with that, with few viable options to replace Adofo-Mensah at this late stage, the Vikings will not formally hire a new general manager until after April's draft.
In the meantime, long-time executive Rob Brzezinski will be what amounts to the interim general manager, and he's an easy candidate for the permanent post.
Still, anything less than a fully fleshed-out process to find the next general manager will garner sideways glances after owner Mark Wilf promised a "thorough" post-draft search. So few, if any, stones should be left unturned.
Adofo-Mensah came from a non-football background, so the Vikings, as confirmed by The Athletic's Dianna Russini last Friday, are in line to be looking for the opposite in their next general manager.
The search for a new GM will go down after the draft. Like most teams in this position, expect a pivot, likely the opposite of what they just had. I’d expect an older school type with a strong scouting background, someone rooted in traditional evaluation and personnel building.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 30, 2026
Denver Broncos GM George Paton a candidate to replace Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
With that in mind, The Athletic's Mike Sando offered an interesting option in the wake of Adofo-Mensah being let go.
"The big surprise in NFL circles was that team extended GM at all.
Been so much speculation about that HC/GM pairing being shaky
I was going to write in upcoming Pick Six that if Darnold won it all, look out—and do(n)t forget that George Paton, who remans well regarded in Minnesota, has one year left on deal.
This all makes too much sens."
George Paton has been the Denver Broncos general manager since 2021. Before that, he worked in the Vikings' front office from 2007 to 2020, going from director of player personnel (2007 to 2011) to assistant general manager (2012 to 2014) to assistant general manager and vice president of player personnel (2015 to 2020) during his time in Minnesota.
Before joining former Vikings' general manager Rick Spielman in Minnesota, Paton was the Miami Dolphins' director of pro personnel from 2001 to 2006. Before that, he got his start with the Chicago Bears as a scouting intern, then a full-blown pro scout, and finally assistant director of pro personnel.
If the Broncos give Paton a contract extension, his candidacy for the Vikings' GM job would obviously be rendered moot immediately.
But he has the extensive traditional football background that is going to be sought to replace Adofo-Mensah, and his history with the Vikings for a big chunk of the Wilfs' run as owners stands to matter if he lingers into May without a new contract in Denver.