J.J. McCarthy still has plenty of supporters in the Minnesota Vikings' building, including head coach Kevin O'Connell.
But he just lost a big advocate on Friday. The Vikings have fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
Adofo-Mensah was a part of the front office team that made McCarthy the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Michigan.
McCarthy then missed his entire rookie season due to a preseason knee injury.
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In 2025, back for year two, he was the Week 1 starter but battled multiple injuries and was rather inaccurate when he was on the field.
There were flashes, but it was hard to know for certain that McCarthy would be the long-term answer in Minnesota.
A new GM hire will bring in someone less attached to McCarthy. That can often be the first step toward moving on from a quarterback.
The guys who have hitched their jobs to a guy often try to stick with that guy, rather than admit a mistake or failure.
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In reality, Adofo-Mensah may have been fired in part because the decision to let Sam Darnold leave for the Seahawks has backfired spectacularly, with Seattle in the Super Bowl and Minnesota not having even made the playoffs.
But the McCarthy conundrum is up next. Whoever takes over the GM spot will have to weigh in pretty quickly on what the future of the Vikings' QB position looks like.
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