Vikings GM Fired for Turning Down Blockbuster Trade?

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Drake Maye
Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

On Friday the Minnesota Vikings dropped a bomb in the form of firing general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the timing of was curious, to say the least. Now, without a new general manager through the NFL Draft, the franchise try to forge a better path forward.

Adofo-Mensah put together a disappointing track record in the draft but it may have been the trade he failed to pull off last season that ended his tenure as MN Vikings GM.

Drake Maye should have been a Minnesota Viking

Last offseason, the Minnesota Vikings wanted to trade up in the first round to draft Drake Maye, something that has been reported on a bunch, before and after the draft. As I have reported before, it was Kwesi Adofo-Mensah who decided not to give up what the Pats were demanding, at the time.

Then today, Patriots reporter Daniel Rotman showed up in my X replies to confirm that indeed it was Kwesi who pulled back on the Maye deal — causing yet another schism in Vikings operations.

Editor’s Note: Since the reply, Rotman has clarified his reporting, saying that New England is actually the one who walked away from the deal. He says that he was only confirming the O’Connell/Drake Maye part of the original tweet, and that NE walked away from the deal. (See below)

Kevin O’Connell can be called a QB whisperer after what he did for and with Sam Darnold. The one-year deal with Darnold proved that O’Connell was capable of providing an infrastructure for talent to succeed.

KOC’s not a miracle worker though, which is what Adofo-Mensah hoped he’d be for J.J. McCarthy. According to a source, the Minnesota Vikings had Drake Maye believing he would land in purple the night before the 2024 NFL Draft.

Obviously, the New England Patriots were asking for the moon, but O’Connell knew it would be worth it. Kwesi disagreed, the Vikings didn’t make the move, and now he is looking for a new job.

MN Vikings watching a failed Super Bowl

On Sunday February 8, the Minnesota Vikings will join a nation watching Super Bowl LX. This one sting a bit differently though. Sam Darnold is the Seattle Seahawks starter, and Maye has led the Patriots there in year two.

After using draft capital on McCarthy, it’s understandable that Adofo-Mensah couldn’t pay Darnold on a long-term deal. The proposed one-year contract didn’t get it done, though, and he is now proving how wrong Minnesota may have been to heavily weigh those final two games.

Drake Maye led the league with a 72.0% completion rate this season, and owned a 31/8 TD/INT ratio. Mike Vrabel has a superstar youngster vying for an MVP, and the 23-year-old might add a new ring to his finger in the process.

Meanwhile, the Vikings still have no clarity at quarterback, and the guy who protected picks could be filing for unemployment.

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