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The Minnesota Vikings secured a pivotal piece of their team on Friday, announcing a multiyear contract extension for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. The move came four months after Adofo-Mensah's partner, coach Kevin O'Connell, got a new deal of his own to remain in Minnesota. And it comes as the franchise prepares for a pivotal 2025 campaign, in which former first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy is set to take over at quarterback.

The Vikings celebrated Adofo-Mensah's leadership while announcing Friday's contract, with owner Mark Wilf specifically arguing that the general manager's vision has positioned the team for "sustained success."

"His dedication and forward-thinking approach have been instrumental in shaping our roster and future," Wilf explained, "and we are confident that under the guidance of [he] and Kevin O'Connell, we will continue to compete at the highest level as we pursue a championship for Vikings fans."

Should Vikings fans share the sentiment? And where, exactly, does Adofo-Mensah rank among current general managers? Truth be told, we have the freshly extended decision-maker among the NFL's most promising personnel chiefs going into 2025, which is in stark contrast to some of the league's shakier executives:

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Most promising GMs

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It's not a coincidence that all five of these teams have either contended for a title or vastly exceeded expectations in recent years. Beane is responsible for drafting Josh Allen and reshuffling the MVP's support to secure seven playoff berths in eight seasons. Holmes rebuilt Detroit from scraps, giving Dan Campbell an all-world offense to help the Lions improve their win total in three straight years. Veach works hand in hand with Andy Reid atop this generation's dynasty; he helped draft a future Hall of Famer in Patrick Mahomes. Roseman is a rapid-fire builder, embracing aggressive swings to win Super Bowl titles with two different coaches. And Adofo-Mensah is willing to make tough decisions (i.e. trading with division rivals, letting veteran quarterbacks walk) in order to maximize upside for his coaches' lineups, be it Kevin O'Connell's play-action attack or Brian Flores' exotic defense.

Also considered: Adam Peters (Washington Commanders), Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Most concerning GMs

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Organizational failures are just that: organizational. Yet each of these executives are under more pressure than most to right their respective ships. Berry is trying to dig himself out of the hole created when he, with an admittedly regretful push from owner Jimmy Haslam, bet premium draft picks and hundreds of millions on maligned quarterback Deshaun Watson. Ballard has cycled through signal-callers since Andrew Luck's abrupt retirement in 2019. Grier has been running the Dolphins for close to a decade, overseeing an 0-3 playoff record during that stretch; it's a testament to owner Stephen Ross' loyalty, but also an indictment of a franchise prone to overshadowing its own splashes (i.e. Tyreek Hill, Jalen Ramsey, etc.) with poor cap management. Schoen has run a perpetual rebuild in New York. And Loomis, though a past champion, delayed a much-needed rebuild for years.

Also considered: Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers), Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons)