They started by extending Kevin O’Connell, just weeks after the 2024-25 season ended. Then, they turned to 2025 player personnel, using their lut of salary cap space to spend more total dollars in free agency than any other team in the league.

General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah threw around all that cash carefully, using it to ink Vikings UFAs including Byron Murphy Jr and Harrison Smith, along with notable new faces on both sides of the football, especially in the trenches.

Then, after things cooled down for a little while, the Vikings turned their contract printer settings to “executive” and finally got a new deal done with their GM, an extension that was promised to Kwesi months prior, back when KOC got his new contract.

Minnesota Vikings make front-office promotions official

Included with the Adofo-Mensah extension came reports that his “top lieutenants” — Ryan Grigson and Demitrius Washington — were in for promotions as well. On Wednesday, those deals were announced, along with matching new titles of “Assistant GM”.

The Vikings on Wednesday announced they have promoted Ryan Grigson and Demitrius Washington to Assistant General Manager positions.

“We’re proud of the continued growth and evolution of our entire football staff as we enter 2025. Our success is built on the dedication of our talented individuals who bring unique strengths to the table as we push forward to our ultimate goal of bringing a championship to Minnesota.” — Kwesi Adofo-Mensah

Minnesota Vikings Press Release

Ryan Grigson: Senior Vice President of Player Personnel –> Assistant General Manager

Ryan Grigson is more of a household football fan name, due to his five years as GM of the Indianapolis Colts from 2012-2016. By the time he was fired, Grigson was painted as the reason why Andrew Luck retired early, after he failed to put a requisite team around his superstar QB, who wound up losing his love for football in the process.

I will forever hate Ryan Grigson & what he did to Andrew Luck and my mentals as a Colts fan#Colts #ForTheShoe pic.twitter.com/ZqldOmMd0D

— Ati (@atioberoi) April 12, 2025

Grigson drafted Luck No. 1 overall out of Stanford during his first offseason running the Colts show. While in charge, Ryan Grigson’s Colts went 49-31, in large part thanks to how good Luck was. After Grigson left Indianapolis, Luck spent all of 2017 out with injury, before retiring two years later (2019).

Related: Christian Darrisaw Looks Further Along Than Expected…

Before he came to the Vikings, prior to the 2022 season, where he’s served as Kwesi’s Senior Vice President of Player Personnel, Grigson worked as an advisor and executive two different times for the Browns (2017, 2020-2021). In between stops in Cleveland, he was a “senior football consultant” for two seasons (2018-19) with the Seattle Seahawks.

Demitrius Washington: Vice President of Player Personnel –> Assistant General Manager

Demitrius Washington enters his fourth season with the Vikings in 2025, as well. He previously carried the same role as Grigson (Vice President of Player Personnel), but without the “senior” title.

Washington spent 2015-21 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he worked with Kwesi for the first time. He is the lesser-known of the two now-assistant GMs, but certainly the one with the brighter future, just given his age and career trajectory.

Kwesi & Co. used free agency and the draft to filled gaping holes on the interior of the offensive and defensive lines, while adding depth to other positions, like running back and linebacker. They also swapped quarterbacks (again), and talked Harrison Smith into one more year.

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, other Minnesota Vikings executives receive contract extensions

And now that most of the 2025 offseason moving and grooving is over, the Minnesota Vikings are turning their focus to player development and getting their new team ready for next season, which is the perfect time for the Wilf family to reward Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and his front office staff for their hard work, with fresh contract extensions.

It’s not just Kwesi getting a new deal, though. His right-hand men, Ryan Grigson and Demitrius Washington, are getting raises and new job titles (Assistant General Managers), as well. News broke of the Vikings’ front office contract extensions Friday morning.

The #Vikings have signed GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to a multiyear contract extension, sources tell me and @RapSheet.

The deal was signed Thursday night. Minnesota is 34-17 with two playoff trips since Kevin O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah arrived. Now both are signed for years to come. pic.twitter.com/q3EiJN9pix

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 30, 2025

More #Vikings news: The team is promoting Ryan Grigson and Demitrius Washington to assistant general manager, per sources.

Grigson and Washington have been Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s top lieutenants since he got to Minnesota. Now, a new contract for KAM, and new titles for his guys.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 30, 2025

Hired during the 2022 offseason, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has taken a lot of heat for the unproductive drafts the Minnesota Vikings have had, since he took over, especially his infamous first class, of 2022, when he drafted Lewis Cine late in the first round, after a lengthy trade-back.

Vikings push chips all-in on Kwesi

There were whispers behind the scenes earlier this offseason that had insiders around the league wondering who exactly is making the decisions for the Vikings. There were even questions surrounding whether it was Kwesi pulling levers, or new assistant GM, Ryan Grigson.

Related: MN Vikings Insider Unable to Dig Up Any Dirt on JJ McCarthy

Then, Kwesi went home sick during the NFL Draft Combine, leaving head coach Kevin O’Connell to do multiple jobs in Indianapolis (where he flourished). That only added more fuel to Kwesi’s rumor fire, after KOC got his extension early this offseason, and Adofo-Mensah was forced to wait..

But all of that seems behind us now. The Wilf family has decided that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is there general manager, both now, and into the future. No matter what growing pains that entails. Is he the right guy for the job, time will tell. Clearly, the Wilfs believe so.