Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Lands a New Job Title with 49ers

The Minnesota Vikings fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah at the end of January, and it didn’t take long for the former top boss to land a new job with the San Francisco 49ers, the franchise that reared him over 10 years ago.

Adofo-Mensah will serve as the Vice President of Personnel and Strategy, presumably eyeing an opportunity to be a general manager again down the road.

San Francisco Gives Adofo-Mensah Another Front Office Valve

Ran Carthon and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah talk during a joint practice session in Eagan. — Tennessee Titans general manager Ran Carthon and Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah share a conversation during summer practice activities. During joint sessions on Aug. 16, 2023, in Eagan, Minnesota, the two executives met on the sideline as teams evaluated players, gathered information, and continued preparations for the upcoming regular season. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Nelles-USA TODAY NETWORK.

Adofo-Mensah Has a Formal Title

It’s official for Adofo-Mensah, as 49ers.com announced Wednesday: “The San Francisco 49ers today announced that Nathan Biehl, Grant Bordelon, Ryan Carter, Brad Clark, Casey Filkins, Jordan Fox, Michael Gonzalez, Austin Moss II, and Jeff Weidemeyer have each been promoted to new roles within the organization. In addition, the team has added Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to the personnel department: Kwesi Adofo-Mensah – Vice President, Personnel & Strategy.”

“Adofo-Mensah has been hired as vice president, personnel & strategy and returns to San Francisco after spending the previous four seasons (2022-25) as the general manager for the Minnesota Vikings.”

For Adofo-Mensah, the arrangement will feel like a return to his roots — with a sweeter job title.

Kwesi’s Time with the Vikings

Adofo-Mensah’s tenure with the Vikings presents a complex legacy. On one hand, the team achieved significant success, boasting the NFL’s fifth-best record under his leadership. He skillfully managed the transition from the Mike Zimmer to the Kevin O’Connell era and wisely shed expensive veteran contracts — such as those of Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, and Eric Kendricks — without diminishing the team’s competitiveness.

While the team’s on-field performance and organizational transitions were strong, Adofo-Mensah’s drafting record was a nasty hurdle. Across four drafts, he yielded only a handful of clear impact players: Jordan Addison, Will Reichard, Dallas Turner, and Jalen Nailor. Even with a generous assessment, adding Donovan Jackson or Levi Drake Rodriguez to that list still represents a meager return for a general manager tasked with building a sustainable depth chart.

This lack of success on draft day became a familiar pattern for Vikings fans. Each year, weak draft classes left roster holes unfilled, immediately shifting hopes to the next free agency period. Reliance on free agency is a precarious strategy in football; while it can provide temporary fixes, it rarely establishes a core.

The situation with Sam Darnold further complicated Adofo-Mensah’s time in Minnesota. After Darnold’s stellar 2024 season, throwing 35 touchdown passes for Minnesota, Adofo-Mensah had several options: he could have applied the franchise tag and explored a trade, re-signed Darnold to a short-term deal, or otherwise capitalized on Darnold’s career-best performance.

Instead, Darnold departed for Seattle and, just eleven months later, won a Super Bowl. The outcome will undoubtedly be a lasting regret for Adofo-Mensah.

The only factor that could have changed the narrative was J.J. McCarthy’s performance. Had McCarthy excelled in 2025, Adofo-Mensah’s reputation would have been entirely different. His overall strategy would have appeared more coherent, Darnold’s departure more understandable, and the draft misses less damning.

But that scenario never materialized. McCarthy’s inaugural season as QB1 was marred by injuries and poor efficiency, leaving Minnesota without a definitive answer at quarterback heading into the 2026 offseason.

Hoping to Change His Own Narrative in SF

It’s unclear how long Adofo-Mensah must remain the 49ers’ Vice President of Personnel and Strategy to revive his name, but as always, time heals.

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah watches warmups from the sideline before a Vikings game. — Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah observes pregame activity from the sideline before kickoff at U.S. Bank Stadium. On Sept. 14, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Adofo-Mensah watched players complete warm-ups and preparations while continuing to oversee roster development and organizational decision-making. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.

For now, he’s known as the guy who orchestrated multiple poor drafts, and more daming, the man who let Darnold leave in free agency for the Seattle Seahawks. When the Seahawks punched their ticket to the Super Bowl five months later, winning the damn thing, the Vikings became the obvious butt of jokes for roster malpractice.

Allowing Darnold to leave won’t soon be forgotten, so if Adofo-Mensah wants a general manager’s job down the line, he’ll just have to hope that some owner believes in second chances. He’d restore shine, to an extent, if the 49ers can win a Super Bowl sometime soon.

Vikings Hire Teasley 4 Months Later

Meanwhile, the Vikings locked in Adofo-Mensah’s replacement this week, hiring Nolan Teasley from the aforementioned Seahawks. Teasley has a personnel and scouting background — that’s what the Vikings need after Adofo-Mensah’s gaffes — and will work with O’Connell to bring a championship to the Twin Cities.

Mark Wilf and Nolan Teasley speak during an introductory press conference at TCO Performance Center. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah — Minnesota Vikings owner Mark Wilf joins newly hired general manager Nolan Teasley during an introductory press conference at team headquarters. On June 3, 2026, in Eagan, Minnesota, Teasley discussed his vision for the franchise and emphasized collaboration across ownership, coaching, and football operations as he began his new role. Mandatory Credit: YouTube.

The new boss didn’t divulge much at Wednesday’s press conference — he’s a man of few words when answering detailed questions — but he did state that the Vikings are not heading toward a roster rebuild and that he expects the club to contend for a Super Bowl in 2026.

The interim general manager from the last few months, Rob Brzezinski, will remain with the Vikings and reportedly hold more power.