Players from the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers line up at the line of scrimmage during fourth-quarter action at U.S. Bank Stadium. On Dec. 29, 2024, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the longtime NFC North rivals battled deep into the game as playoff positioning and divisional pride remained on the line late in the regular season. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
For only the third time in 66 years, the Minnesota Vikings will play the Green Bay Packers to start the season. During the showdown, otherworldly linebacker Micah Parsons will not partake.
Green Bay will take Parson’s ACL recovery slowly, and he’s already been ruled out for the month of September.
A Packers Problem Arrives at the Perfect Time for Minnesota
Green Bay Packers pass rusher Micah Parsons loosens up before taking the field at Empower Field at Mile High. During warm-ups on Dec. 14, 2025, in Denver, Colorado, Parsons prepared for a matchup with the Broncos while continuing to serve as the centerpiece of Green Bay’s defensive front and one of the NFL’s premier defenders. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
No Parsons Week 1
You can scratch Parsons off your bingo board for Week 1.
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ESPN’s Rob Demovsky wrote Wednesday, “Micah Parsons’ initial hope that he could return within the first month of the season was never realistic, and the Green Bay Packers’ star edge rusher has come to terms with that. Parsons said Wednesday that he’s just past the five-month mark from his ACL surgery, which he revealed also included a procedure on his meniscus, and that he won’t be cleared to be back on the football field — even for practice — until the nine-month mark.”
“That would put his earliest possible return to practice in late September, and the Packers likely would not allow him to play in a game until after several weeks of practice. Parsons is likely to open the season on the physically unable to perform list, which means he would automatically miss at least four games.”
Barryn Sorrell or Brenton Cox Jr. will presumably start in Parsons’s place.
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A Game-Changing Detail. Literally.
The Vikings are known for their cautious approach to injury recoveries, prioritizing long-term health. Green Bay operates similarly, which is relevant given Parsons’s status.
Parsons, arguably the best defensive player in football, will not be rushed into the Week 1 lineup simply because the calendar dictates it. Last season, the Packers clearly saw their Super Bowl aspirations diminish without him. Risking a long-term setback in September would be a grave error.
The conservative approach could immediately benefit Minnesota due to the NFL’s random scheduling. Given Parsons is already a five-time Pro Bowler, Green Bay’s patience is entirely logical. The Packers will not be unprepared at outside linebacker to start the season. The team typically has a robust backup plan, and its summer roster is not lacking talent.
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The full outside linebacker room, including Parsons, is as follows:
Micah Parsons
Lukas Van Ness
Brenton Cox Jr.
Barryn Sorrell
Dani Dennis-Sutton
Collin Oliver
Arron Mosby
Nyjalik Kelly
Dennis-Sutton is a rookie. If Parsons misses approximately four games in September, Packers fans will need Dennis-Sutton to be more prepared to play than an average first-year pass rusher.
One cannot avoid the fact, though, that Parsons is, by far, the Packers’ defensive MVP and best player on the team overall. Minnesota, facing a Parsons-less Packers squad, is an entirely different beast.
Vikings Injury Watch
Minnesota’s summer injury watch isn’t quite as vast as Green Bay’s, but it’s noteworthy nonetheless.
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Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott share a moment following a hard-fought contest at AT&T Stadium. On Sept. 28, 2025, in Arlington, Texas, the former teammates embraced after the game, highlighting the mutual respect forged during their years together in Dallas. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
All eyes are on left tackle Christian Darrisaw, who tore his ACL in October 2024 but did not encounter a seamless recovery thereafter. The Vikings even shut down Darrisaw last December, giving him more time to heal and be ready for 2026, which is three months away in regular-season speak. Thankfully, Darrisaw participated in organized team activities last week and looked great.
Then there’s one of the newest members of the roster. Minnesota drafted defensive tackle Caleb Banks from Florida in April, and the only knock on him is two foot injuries since the summer of 2025. Banks’s draft stock fell from Round 1 to Round 2 because he broke his foot at the NFL Combine in February, but that didn’t deter the Vikings from selecting him with the 18th overall pick. The Vikings coaching staff has since claimed that Banks will be ready from training camp in late July.
It’s Darrisaw and Banks Watch for injuries this summer.
All Eyes on Tucker Kraft, Josh Jacobs, and Zach Tom
Parsons isn’t the only star who Packers fans must monitor. Tight end Tucker Kraft is working his way back from a torn ACL in November. He may or may not be ready for Week 1. Josh Jacobs is accused of domestic violence crimes, and that storyline will dominate the Packers’ summer. Tackle Zach Tom also injured his knee last year, though Green Bay’s coaching staff is optimistic about his return sooner rather than later.
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Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft heads toward the locker room after a road matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. Following the game on Sept. 28, 2025, in Arlington, Texas, Kraft exited the field at AT&T Stadium after contributing to another chapter in Green Bay’s ongoing NFC campaign. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
There’s a world where the Vikings face the Packers without Parsons, Kraft, and Jacobs, believe it or not.
From a June standpoint, Green Bay is an early 1.5-point favorite to defeat Minnesota at U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 1 — even with Parsons ruled out.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
Oct 5, 2025; Tottenham, United Kingdom; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell during warmups before an NFL International Series game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Cleveland Browns at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
So long, Joaquin Davis. The Vikings say goodbye to the tall and speedy receiver in the name of welcoming two others to town.
GM Nolan Teasley has been in the Twin Cities for five minutes (roughly). He has nevertheless signed off on a couple of signings. The team’s official social media delivered the news: “The #Vikings have signed WR Michael Briscoe and WR Trayvon Rudolph. WR Joaquin Davis has been waived.”
The Vikings Say Goodbye to WR, Add 2 New Lads
Even when the roster swells to 91 players — the offseason limit, so long as one of the players is living within the international exemption slot — a roster functions as a one in, one out situation.
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Of course, the current move involves welcoming a pair of talents while subtracting just a single guy. What gives? Well, there was an unused roster spot. No longer. Moving on from Davis involved bumping the roster openings up to two, job opportunities that have since been filled.
Aug 16, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Joaquin Davis (80) pulls in the ball in the second half against the Arizona Cardinals bat Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
In Briscoe, the Vikings brought a Seattle player to town. Or, at least, somebody who was there for a short time.
CBS Sports with an update that arrived on May 1st of 2026: “Briscoe ended his collegiate career with Cal Poly by reeling in 43 passes for 779 yards and seven touchdowns. He stands 6-foot-2 and has demonstrated good linear speed for a wideout. Briscoe is a longshot to make Seattle’s initial NFL roster but could be given a chance to develop on the practice squad.”
Something that’s quite notable is that the WR earned $125,000 in guaranteed money, per Over the Cap. That’s a nice payday for an undrafted talent. Being cut loose so early on is strange, but Teasley will have in-depth knowledge of what took place.
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Likewise, Rudolph has a connection to Seattle, getting a shot in the Emerald City before venturing to the Twin Cities. Unlike his undrafted counterpart, Rudolph secured modest guaranteed money: $0.
At Toledo in 2025, Rudolph caught the ball 39 times for 435 yards and 2 touchdowns. So, too, did he turn 3 carries into 7 yards. Do note, though, that his 2024 season featured much more promising rushing statistics, seeing his 14 carries turn into 179 yards (12.8 average) and 2 touchdowns.
Moreover, Rudolph has 80 college kickoff returns. Add it all together and he chewed through 1,814 yards for 2 scores. Crunching the numbers means seeing a 22.7 yards-per-return average. Specials, quite possibly, is the path forward here.
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor celebrates with Justin Jefferson and quarterback J.J. McCarthy after a touchdown on Dec. 14, 2025, during a road matchup against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Nailor continued carving out a larger offensive role in Minnesota’s passing attack as McCarthy gained comfort directing Kevin O’Connell’s offense. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images.
As things stand, the Vikings’ receiver position is loaded.
Trotting out a top trio of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jauan Jennings is the envy of almost every team in the league. Seeing these three reach their potential means running roughshod on almost every secondary in the league (so long as the QB and OL are competent).
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What remains to be seen is who will solidify the WR4, WR5, and possibly a WR6 spot. Tai Felton and Myles Price are the favorites given that they filled those jobs last year, but that’s no certainty. Quite possibly, Price is more secure in his roster spot than Felton since the 2025 UDFA has a clearer pathway to a role than the 3rd-Round pick.
The Vikings are soon to enter mandatory minicamp. Slowly but surely, the competition is increasing.
ONE flyweight Muay Thai contender, Shimon Yoshinari, just earned his spot on ONE Championship’s global roster. Now he wants to know who’s next.
Fresh off a unanimous decision victory over Johan Ghazali at ONE SAMURAI 1 on April 29, the 21-year-old WBC Muay Thai World Champion wasted no time looking ahead.
Speaking to Nick Atkin after his performance at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, the EIWA Sports Gym product made his ambitions clear through his translator.
“Well, [anyone] within the rankings, he wants to just [face them].”
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
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The win over ‘Jojo’ was no easy task. The Malaysian-American striker arrived in Tokyo with serious credentials and a point to prove. Shimon withstood a second-round knockdown, fired back immediately, and found his best form in the championship round to take the decision.
But that statement-making win only made Shimon want more.
The flyweight Muay Thai division is stacked with elite names, and the young Japanese star wants to test himself against the best of them as soon as possible.
Watch the full interview:
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Shimon says he’ll only get better after joining the main roster
Capturing that life-changing six-figure contract has only motivated Shimon Yoshinari to keep getting better at his craft.
Joining the promotion’s main roster means facing more formidable challenges in the stacked ONE flyweight Muay Thai division.
It’s something he embraces wholeheartedly. After all, Shimon wants to follow the lead of his cousin, ONE atomweight Muay Thai world champion Nadaka, and claim 26 pounds of gold himself.
“Okay, yeah, I’m very happy to get a contract, but this is only the beginning. It’s just the start, so he just needs to focus and get the work done, yeah,” Shimon told Nick Atkin in the same interview.
NEW DELHI: India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Friday stressed that Rishabh Pant does not need to change his natural style of batting but must play according to the demands of the match situation, echoing comments made a day earlier by assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate.Pant was removed as India’s Test vice-captain when the BCCI announced the squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan last month. Speaking ahead of the match, which begins on Saturday in New Chandigarh, Gambhir said he continues to back the wicketkeeper-batter but expects him to judge situations better.“We don’t want Rishabh Pant to change but international cricket demands players to respect match situations,” Gambhir said in the pre-match press conference.His remarks came a day after Ten Doeschate spoke about Pant’s approach to batting and leadership.“With Rishabh’s brilliance, we don’t want to take away all the stuff that he does but occasionally if he can adjust his game to play the (match) situations slightly more, I think that’s something you’ll see him work on.”“I don’t think he needs a formal title to be a leader in an elite setup like this, and I think Rishabh understands that,” Ten Doeschate said on the decision to remove Pant as vice-captain.ALSO READ: For Rishabh Pant, a milestone 50th Test is another starting pointPant, 28, is set to play his 50th Test when India take on Afghanistan. In 49 Tests, he has scored 3,476 runs at an average of 42.91 and a strike rate of 74.24, including eight centuries and 18 half-centuries.The landmark match comes after a difficult period for Pant. He endured a poor IPL 2026 season both as batter and captain of Lucknow Super Giants and also lost the Test vice-captaincy to KL Rahul.During the Test series against South Africa and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, Pant’s attacking approach came under scrutiny at times.The Afghanistan Test now offers him an opportunity to return his focus to red-ball cricket and make an impact with the bat as India begin another Test assignment.
Riviera, the storied golf club in the heart of Los Angeles, is special — not only because it has hosted some of golf’s biggest tournaments (and stars) but also for reasons you might not have considered.
“Our property is down in the bottom of this canyon; it’s basically an old dry-wash riverbed,” Marshall Dick, the club’s superintendent. “Our general philosophy here is to nurture, enhance and perfect what wants to naturally grow within this canyon, because it’s a unique environment.”
And it all starts with one word: Kikuya, which is a rare grass that grows on the course’s fairways and rough. (The greens are Poa annua.)
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Dick said Kikuya is still considered a “noxious weed” in most parts of the country and you need special permitting to bring the seed into the U.S. But at Riviera?
“It’s our turf grass,” he said.
As for your next question: What is Kikuya? Assistant super Tyler Shuman explains:
“Kikuya kind of came in naturally. It grows here … and the climate has kinda embraced it, and so have we. It’s definitely a different beast,” he said. “Kikuya can be hardy, but it can be affected pretty easily too. Timing and the type of year will change things. When we have the PGA Tour event in February, it kind of wants to shut down and go to sleep with the cooler temperatures. In the summer months, it becomes more of a spongy, hardy material.”
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“It doesn’t look as thick as it is,” added Alexa Moncada, a senior agronomist on the Riviera staff. “You get your ball in there and you can be 200 yards out — you’re not getting a fairway wood out of there. It’s tough. People might even compare it to fescue. It’s thick, and your ball just kind of sinks. I don’t think it’s as challenging in the short cut, but the rough is tough — you can’t really get it out.”
For more on what it was like on-site with the Riviera team, how they manage their unique grass and to learn about the tech-infused GS3 ball they use to monitor their greens, check out the video above or below.
PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — Madelene Sagstrom was just a few minutes from finishing her first round at the U.S. Women’s Open when she had to pause, stand more erect, look at her caddie and take a deep breath.
It sounds like the perfect calming mechanism for handling the 6-foot par-saver that remained. Rather, this was her way of working through a pre-contraction, also known as Braxton Hicks contractions — discomforting cramps in the abdomen or pelvis that can happen during the third trimester of a pregnancy.
That’s right — Sagstrom is seven months pregnant and grinded through 18 holes at Riviera Country Club Thursday morning, slowing here and there during the moments when her baby boy felt like shifting around. And he’s been moving a lot lately, “rearranging his bedroom” last night while she was trying to sleep ahead of a 7:29 a.m. tee time.
“That was the first time I could really feel like he’s getting bigger,” Sagstrom said, just moments after summiting the hill behind Riviera’s 18th green.
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The 33-year-old is the 73rd-ranked player in the world and is, as you may guess, highly motivated. She would have every reason to take it easy but has found her golf to be a guiding purpose during pregnancy. Her husband, Jack Clarke, caddies on the PGA Tour and Sagstrom finds herself alone at home often.
“[Golf] gives me a reason to wake up in the morning,” she says. “To go to the golf course, to play. I’ve been playing well beating my friends at home, so I’m like why not try, you know?”
Why not try?
Only women could know. Every pregnancy is different. Sagstrom isn’t the first pro to compete while pregnant and she won’t be the last. But she may somehow be the most driven. Regardless of how this week goes, she’s playing next week, at the Dow Championship in Michigan. And she hasn’t ruled out the KPMG Women’s PGA at the end of the month, although she said Thursday’s round — her first time playing 18 this week — made her wonder if that’ll be possible.
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For pro golfers, even the tiniest changes can throw everything out of whack. (For all golfers!) They’d rather be robots than humans, slotting their body parts into repetitive motion and perfect positions. But what’s perfect or repetitive or predictable about pregnancy? As recent months passed, Sagstrom’s coach realized her spine angle had shifted four degrees forward, completely changing her angle of attack to the golf ball. Her arms grew tired swinging the same clubs she’s played for years, so she switched into a completely new set mid-tournament in New Jersey, adding more woods to the bag than before. She regrets not change sooner. She’s lost at least 5 mph of swing speed and more than 10 mph of ball speed.
“Unless you are pregnant yourself or have kids, you don’t realize how hard it is,” Sagstrom said. “And I don’t think I realized it either. I mean, beginning of the year — when I found out I was pregnant — I’m like, I’m gonna do this, this, this and this. And then it hits you hard.”
When she says this, Sagstrom smiles. In that way only hyper-competitive people do when they sniff a challenge.
“But it’s kind of fun to test the boundaries,” she said. “Like, what can I do? Can I actually figure this out?”
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Walk around with her group at Riviera and you hear spectators whisper.
Wow, seven months pregnant!
You see how she’s moving?
I can’t believe she’s doing this.
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Inside the ropes, at least between pre-contractions, she seems to forget about the message she’s sending to the world. Her husband walked all 18 holes, proud, concerned, impressed, and smiling. But fresh off signing for a six-over 77, Sagstrom said she was kinda “pissed off.” She noticed for the first time some restriction, right after impact and through the swing. Suddenly, she’s battling the occasional toe-hook. She couldn’t make a birdie putt, and is working through a weird mix of altered expectations. (When she holed out for eagle on the 3rd hole during Wednesday’s practice round, she said, “Why today? Why not tomorrow?”)
“At the same time, I don’t want to stop my life,” she said. “I like my life. I get to play Riviera for fun. Or not fun. Whatever you want to call it.”
Her first thought, after signing her scorecard, was to go practice. But then she would have had to walk back up the mountain of steps to Riv’s clubhouse. Lunch sounded better.
“But once I sit down,” she said with a laugh, “I’m going to struggle to get up.”
Twelve teams are competing in the tournament, with the Philippines heading Pool A alongside Chinese Taipei, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Australia and Uzbekistan.
Defending champion Vietnam, meanwhile, leads Pool B, which also includes Kazakhstan, Iran, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Lebanon.
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SCHEDULE: Alas Pilipinas at AVC Women’s Nations Cup 2026 – pool stage
June 6, Saturday
3pm – Alas Pilipinas vs Uzbekistan
June 7, Sunday
3pm – Australia vs Alas Pilipinas
June 8, Monday
3pm -Alas Pilipina vs Kyrgyzstan
June 9, Tuesday
3pm – South Korea vs Alas Pilipinas
June 11, Wednesday
3pm – Alas Pilipinas vs Chinese Taipei
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Jun 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Kansas City Royals third baseman Nick Loftin (12) scores a run against Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Andrew Morris (78) during the second inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
Pinch hitter Josh Rojas ripped a tiebreaking two-run single up the middle in the top of the ninth inning, and the Kansas City Royals held on for an 8-6 win over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday in Minneapolis.
Carter Jensen hit a two-run double for Kansas City in the opener of a four-game series. Michael Massey finished 2-for-4 with a solo home run.
Kody Clemens hit two solo shots to lead Minnesota at the plate. Victor Caratini went 3-for-4 with a double, a homer and two RBIs.
Royals left-hander Matt Strahm (2-1) earned the victory with a scoreless inning of relief. Alex Lange collected his second save with a scoreless ninth.
Twins left-hander Taylor Rogers (1-3) gave up two runs in two-thirds of an inning.
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The score was 6-all when Rojas pinch-hit with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth. He fired a single back up the middle to drive in Lane Thomas and Tyler Tolbert.
The score was 2-all heading in the bottom of the third, when Clemens gave Minnesota a 3-2 advantage with a homer to center.
Massey pounced on the first pitch of the fourth to pull the Royals even at 3-all.
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The Twins made it 4-3 in the bottom of the frame. Ryan Kreidler belted a two-out triple to center to score Trevor Larnach from first base.
Clemens looped a home run just inside the right field foul pole in the fifth to make it 5-3.
Kansas City scored three runs in the sixth to grab a 6-5 edge.
Jensen began the scoring in the inning when he hit a two-run double down the third base line. Moments later, Bobby Witt Jr. popped up, but shortstop Kreidler collided with second baseman Luke Keaschall, and the ball dropped to the grass and allowed a run to score.
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Caratini hit a solo homer to make it 6-all in the bottom of the sixth.
A major website error led to several fans being able to book tickets for FIFA World Cup 2026 matches at no cost, FIFA has confirmed. According to a report by Sky News, around 60 supporters were able to secure tickets at “USD 0” after a checkout glitch. However, FIFA has now reportedly demanded that the concerned fans pay the actual price of the tickets within seven days if they want to keep their seats. If the necessary payment isn’t made within the allotted time, the fans will lose their tickets.
The top football governing body issued a statement to clarify the issue, as per the report.
“FIFA can confirm that approximately 60 FIFA World Cup 2026 fans received a communication on Wednesday, 3 June regarding tickets that had been allocated at no charge (0 USD) due to a prior payment issue during the checkout process.”
“The tickets requested by these fans remain reserved, and the affected fans have been invited to complete payment of the correct amount,” the statement further read.
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The mispriced tickets in question are all reportedly for matches to be held in the city of Toronto in Canada.
This incident follows well-documented concerns over high ticket prices for FIFA World Cup 2026. In April, FIFA’s resale site had four tickets for the World Cup final on sale for just under USD 2.3 million euros (more than Rs 21 crore).
“We have to look at the market – we are in the market in which entertainment is the most developed in the world. So we have to apply market rates,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino had said, in defence of the ticket prices.
Last week, New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced they had issued subpoenas to FIFA as part of a probe into its ticketing practices for matches scheduled at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, including the World Cup final on July 19, amidst particular concern regarding pricing and seat allocation.
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Delhi vs Mumbai IPL 2026: Fans Flood Arun Jaitley Stadium for High-Voltage Clash
Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah meets with reporters during an offseason media availability focused on roster construction and future planning. Speaking on March 26, 2025, at the TCO Performance Center in Eagan, Minnesota, Adofo-Mensah discussed free agency decisions and the club’s draft outlook after previous trades reshaped its collection of selections. Mandatory Credit: YouTube.
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 Role
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.”
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“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
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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.
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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
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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.
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 damning, 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.
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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.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
It was a false start for France after losing 2-1 to Ivory Coast in their first warm-up match before the World Cup. While Rayan Cherki put on a show, France lost control in the second half, allowing the Elephants to come back and take the lead, notably thanks to an outstanding performance from Guéla Doué.
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