The Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Quotes that Raised Eyebrows
K. Joudry
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If you listened to Tuesday’s press conference, you’d have heard Kwesi Adofo-Mensah explain that he needs to adjust how he speaks to the media. In his mind, he sometimes offers too much information, allowing writers to manipulate his words in a manner that creates some controversy. The quotes he’s referring to come from the recent piece in USA Today that include some eyebrow raising thoughts on the team’s QB situation.
In the article, Adofo-Mensah is quoted as saying that the “one asset where you get nervous about not burning it down is quarterback.” He also indicates that “we don’t have Tom Brady” and neither does Minnesota “have Pat(rick) Mahomes.” Lacking a high-end QB can often short circuit a team’s pursuit of the Super Bowl: “‘(The Super Bowl) is more likely to win if you have that quarterback,’ Adofo-Mensah said. ‘It’s very unlikely to have that quarterback.'”
Later in the piece, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah offers quotes about the “threshold of championship talent” and how he understands that reality: “I study these things. I know them. And if you don’t have them, you don’t win. That’s very binary.” Part of the focus needs to rest in knowing when a team is actually close to contention: “The way you can screw up in this job is deceiving yourself that you’re there.”
Another quote he felt compelled to address was his insistence that he’s looking to avoid going “full Rams.” Take a look at the broader idea:
“If it were a seven-game series, yeah, best team wins,” Adofo-Mensah said.. “That’s ultimately why when you’re team building, you never want to go full Rams. Because you need to give yourself three chances at it, four years at it. I know that’s hard for fans to hear.”
As we discussed yesterday, part of Adofo-Mensah’s overall goal is to ensure that Minnesota is competitive in 2022 and beyond. His perspective isn’t that this season is the team’s only shot at the Super Bowl. Rather, the hope is that they have a chance this season and for many more to come. Spreading out these chances over several years gives the team a better shot at achieving the ultimate goal: winning the Super Bowl.
The press conference includes Adofo-Mensah explaining that he’ll be evolving as a GM who will “say less” moving forward. By saying less, the Vikings GM can hopefully avoid having his words “airlifted” and placed into a meaning that he didn’t originally intend: “I’ve realized that saying less is just the best path.” The specific thoughts he shares about QB, he insists, weren’t meant to be directed toward Cousins.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has had a good offseason. I’ve had my concerns about some of his decisions – trading back with the Lions, failing to address the iOL more substantially – but I can’t be overly critical. We’ll soon know if the team is good enough to contend in 2022.
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