"A lot of things happen in theory when you're behind an Excel spreadsheet or a computer and you get to the job and you see the actual implementation of these things, and just seeing what that growth in development of a player looks like or different things like that, room dynamics. Just the experience of making these decisions, seeing them up close, seeing the actual implementation of them has been invaluable to me in my first two years."
"Adofo-Mensah had been one of the least experienced general manager hires in recent NFL history, having never played or coached football before taking an entry-level analytics job with the 49ers in 2013. And now, two years in, he was acknowledging the concerns about his inexperience -- that he wasn't equipped to lead a front office, that his analytics background left him short on actual football instincts and that he was still learning the difference between theory and reality -- had come true."
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah prepared for his third season as Minnesota Vikings general manager in summer 2024. He identified a dichotomy between being a worker and being a leader and noted that leadership requires growth, adjustment and adaptation beyond technical skill. He described on-field learning as trial by fire and emphasized the gap between analytics-based theory and real-world implementation, including player development and room dynamics. His analytics background with the 49ers and Browns informed his approach, but he acknowledged limitations in football instincts and front-office experience during his first two years.
Read at ESPN.com
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