Is Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Playing a High-Stakes Game of Chicken?
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah knows that the quarterback room needs help. In fact, the GM has publicly acknowledged as much, explaining to Tom Pelissero that Minnesota desires greater depth at the position.
The issue, of course, is that recent days have featured the available options dwindling just a bit more. With the Joe Flacco news, a fascinating tidbit rose to the surface: Minnesota had indeed checked in on the veteran passer (shout out to Adam Schefter). Is Adofo-Mensah sticking to a firm price point at backup quarterback, playing hardball while negotiating? If so, then he could be playing a game of chicken with the NFL’s backup passers, waiting for one to swerve first by agreeing to a number that’s lower than originally demanded.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah & The Gamble at QB2
Of course, let’s acknowledge the obvious. The above listed theory is precisely that: a theory. Some outside speculation that’s building on firm facts but without the ability to read Adofo-Mensah’s mind.
Consider what we know for certain.
The GM has confirmed that he is indeed looking for more depth. He has also explained that he is looking to preserve the team’s hard-earned compensatory picks, meaning a pre-draft move for someone like Mr. Flacco was more unlikely unless the money was quite low. So, too, do we understand that Adofo-Mensah is a tough negotiator, someone willing to grind it out (just ask Justin Jefferson) and someone willing to say no if a contract gets too pricey (just ask Kirk Cousins).
Can we look at all of these realities and still land on an available passer who makes sense?
Ryan Tannehill stands out since he’s someone who wouldn’t factor into the comp picks calculus due to not playing in the NFL last season.
In a lot of ways, Tannehill comes across as being precisely the kind of quarterback that the Vikings would want. Like McCarthy, Tannehill was a high draft pick — No. 8 back in 2012 — allowing the veteran to relate to the sophomore. Where McCarthy has yet to throw a regular-season pass, Tannehill has passes aplenty over his career (4,764 attempts, to be exact). Where McCarthy is quite green at 22 and zero games played, Tannehill is a 36-year-old passer who has played in 155 career games. Tannehill, in theory, could mentor, push, and challenge McCarthy.
So, a perfect fit, right?
If so, then the holdup is somewhat hard to explain, especially if Tannehill is looking for his next chance just as Minnesota is looking for more depth.
Consider what Jordan Schultz had to say about the matter back on March 21st: “Sources: The #Vikings have had discussions with former #Titans QB Ryan Tannehill about a potential deal. Talks are ongoing and nothing is imminent as of right now.”
Apparently, Tannehill isn’t in a hurry to accept just any offer. The veteran may have a firm price in his mind. Don’t forget that he missed all of last season. Was that due to not getting the kind of contract he was looking to receive, one large enough to bring him back into the game?
Recently, Dustin Baker discussed the issue, openly asking about why a deal hasn’t yet materialized: “Most fans would wholeheartedly agree that Tannehill as a Viking behind McCarthy would make sense, but again, why hasn’t the deal been signed yet? He must not be that much of a priority.”
One wonders if Ryan Tannehill and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah find themselves at an impasse, interested enough in each other to have at least had some conversations while not being close enough on contract numbers to push the negotiations very far. Is each side digging in, waiting for the other to give way? For Minnesota, that means upping the offer; for Tannehill, that means dropping his number.
Is there a middle that can be agreed upon? Or, perhaps, does another team swoop in for Tannehill before a deal in Minnesota could get across the finish line?
One has to assume that the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft will lead to some renewed interest in the league’s many veterans (even the ones who wouldn’t factor into the comp picks, anyhow). Teams will have had their chance to add young talent in the draft and within undrafted free agency, thereby clarifying what roster needs remain. All of the sudden, Ryan Tannehill may become a bit more popular. Does that turn up the pressure on Kwesi Adofo-Mensah at all?
The Vikings have more than $17 million in cap space. Very likely, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will be hesitant to forfeit the majority of it for a passer who is projected to be the main backup.
Keep an eye on how this develops. The GM won’t be backed into a corner, forced to make a decision he’s uncomfortable with making. But, to be sure, a lot of talent has been missed, so we’ll see what the plan is at QB2.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on social media (Bluesky & Twitter). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.