There aren't a lot of believers in the Minnesota Vikings' young quarterback J.J. McCarthy after his rough first six starts of his career, especially after his two-interception performance against the Green Bay Packers in Week 12.
Vikings fans are now searching for answers about why this happened and who to blame. Many are looking at Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell for not developing him correctly. Others have someone else in mind.
It was Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah who physically made the call to draft McCarthy in 2024. Fans of the Vikings want Adofo-Mensah to answer for it by losing his job, but that's just not realistic, and frankly, not fair to him.
Minnesota Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah shouldn't be defined by J.J. McCarthy alone
First off, Adofo-Mensah wasn't responsible for the development plan for McCarthy, as that falls on the head coach. McCarthy was a winner in college, which translates pretty well to the pro game, so Adofo-Mensah can't control that part.
Also, one decision shouldn't define Adofo-Mensah. He's made some stellar decisions in building the roster over the last few years as general manager. This offseason alone, he signed top players like Isaiah Rodgers and Will Fries. Ryan Kelly has dealt with his concussion, but when he is on the field, he can play at a Pro Bowl level.
Despite the injuries, rookie first-round pick Donovan Jackson looks to be a good future piece for that offensive line. Another solid draft choice that seems to be working out: Dallas Turner, who has become one of the team's top pass rushers over the last month.
Before last year, Adofo-Mesah had plenty of home run decisions, including signing Sam Darnold, who ended up saving the day at quarterback last year. He also found other great talent in the 2024 free agency, including Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel, to give the Vikings the stellar pass rush they have on the defensive side of the ball.
Even if fans wanted him gone, he just signed his contract extension back in May, which goes into effect next year. It doesn't make sense to extend a general manager and then let him go within a year of doing it.
Vikings fans are way too quick to move on from Adofo-Mensah when the team hasn't even had a chance to be in its final form with McCarthy as quarterback. Don't fall into the temptation of the national sports media and give up after just six career starts for him. Adofo-Mensah has the right pieces in place around his quarterback.