The Detroit Lions' tumultuous 2025 campaign was perfectly encapsulated by their last-place finish in the NFC North race. That's why there's good reason to believe that the Lions will be paying close attention to what their rivals are up to this offseason, as any opportunity to get an edge in the division would be appreciated.
That's why the Lions are likely feeling a pep in their step following the latest news coming out of the Land of 10,000 Lakes. On Friday, The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported that the Minnesota Vikings have fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah after four seasons in the role.
"Minnesota’s ownership met multiple times following the season, holding extensive conversations with leaders, including Kevin O’Connell," Russini wrote in a follow-up post. "They recently met again to finalize their moves, and after those discussions, decided to fire their GM, despite his new contract last offseason."
With an affinity for making poor draft suggestions and failing to secure a true No. 1 quarterback, Adofo-Mensah's firing isn't shocking. It's just how long it took to get here that's truly the surprise. Regardless, the Lions won't shed any tears of sadness — just from laughter.
Lions' NFC North Outlook Is Bright After Vikings' GM Firing
Given that most GM firings occur in the immediate aftermath of a season, the Vikings' decision to kick Adofo-Mensah's dismissal down the road for several weeks is a head-scratcher. Now, instead of getting a jump on finding his replacement, Minnesota plans to let executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski lead the front office through the 2026 NFL draft.
In other words, the Vikings don't have any plans to find a new general manager soon, which is great news for the Lions' outlook.
Despite matching 9-8 records, Detroit finished at the bottom of the NFC North as Minnesota owned the tiebreaker after winning both regular-season meetings. Now, the Lions can relish in the fact that potential dysfunction in the Vikings' front office could halt any recent progress they've made.
After all, Brzezinski has been in his position since 2014, so it isn't as if his taking charge will offer the Vikings a new perspective. He may play things ultra-safe between now and the draft, doing his best to limit any potential messes the next GM will have to clean up.
Speaking of which, it's probably going to take some time before Adofo-Mensah's eventual replacement can make a real change. He's going to figure out who on the roster and coaching staff aligns with his vision, and that could lead to plenty of turnover in both areas. That could also mean the potential for a rebuild or retooling, which opens the door for the Lions to move ahead of the Vikings in the NFC North picture.
Head coach Dan Campbell & Co.'s divisional outlook was already helped by all of the coaching changes that have hit the Green Bay Packers this offseason, and the Vikings' GM shake-up adds to a promising future. The Chicago Bears lost running backs coach Eric Bieniemy, too, but more adversity could be needed in the Windy City to help the Lions close the gap.
Regardless, the Vikings' decision to delay Adofo-Mensah's firing is a welcome gift for the Lions this offseason. Now, it'll be up to general manager Brad Holmes to capitalize on the rival team's dysfunction by addressing the plethora of needs on Detroit's roster from March to Week 1 of the 2026 season.