The dust is settling on the release of former Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, and the team is preparing to move forward with the 2026 NFL Draft and the upcoming season on the horizon.
Kevin O'Connell stayed on as the head coach of the Vikings, with Rob Brzezinski stepping in as the interim general manager until after the draft.
However, there have been rumblings about the relationship between the coach and the general manager during their tenure together.
Kevin O'Connell still has a lot of respect for former Minnesota Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
Recently, O'Connell spoke with the media and addressed his working relationship with former Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Here is what he had to say, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert on X:
"Was and will always continue to be strong. Any kind of thoughts or noise to the contrary of that is not accurate in any way, shape, or form."
For a first-time general manager, Adofo-Mensah had to deal with quite a few issues. Despite that, fans knew his time in the position would be linked to the performance of first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy's ability to excel at the quarterback position.
When McCarthy struggled to stay healthy or be effective, Adofo-Mensah's seat got increasingly hotter. Even though the Vikings technically had a winning record in 2025 and overcame multiple injuries in the process, the general manager's days were numbered.
Fans in Minnesota will remember the drama from the working relationship between the previous head coach and general manager.
Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman had one of the most dysfunctional work environments in franchise history, and there was some concern that the relationship between O'Connell and Adofo-Mensah was similar.
Whether there is any truth to that idea or not, it doesn't sound like Kevin O'Connell is going to spill any tea publicly. This is the perfect response by Minnesota's head coach and should be enough to silence any further questions about the topic.
Although things didn't work out as the general manager of the Vikings, the future should still be bright for Adofo-Mensah.
Thankfully, there doesn't seem to be any burnt bridges or hard feelings when it comes to what went down with the purple and gold, and someone as bright as the former Minnesota general manager should still have a place in today's NFL.