Kevin O’Connell Was Never Going Anywhere
The Minnesota Vikings just finished their 2024 season. No one expected them to do anything of note, but Kevin O’Connell was granted Sam Darnold as his next quarterback and polished him into a gem. The bridge starter had an incredible year, and the Vikings won 14 games. Imagine letting that leadership get away.
Kevin O’Connell Was Never Going Anywhere
Don’t worry, that never crossed Minnesota’s minds.
Jay Glazer reported that teams had inquired about trading for Kevin O’Connell. Of course, interested suitors would have been. The Wilfs hadn’t extended their head coach, and he quickly emerged among the NFL’s best. That doesn’t mean the franchise ever gave it any thought.
Regardless of what opponents may have wanted, Kevin O’Connell was never going to leave Minnesota. The Vikings extended him on a new deal this week, and that was always the outcome that would play out. The Wilf family knew they had hit a home run with the hire, and the timing was the only thing needing to come together.
O’Connell distanced the Vikings from the old-school approach Mike Zimmer brought to the building in his first season at the helm. He had an offensive mindset and was focused on gaining collaboration from all members of his roster, which resulted in a 13-win season and playoff appearance.
Last year, the Vikings suffered significant injuries to their quarterback and wide receiver positions. Playing without Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson for significant stretches would all but stifle their ability to produce an ideal outcome.
Despite drafting a first-round quarterback and signing a veteran bridge this offseason, O’Connell found a way to make the team relevant again. Minnesota competed for the first overall seed in the NFC, and they performed better than any experts had them tabbed for. It was the doing of the head coach that made the difference.
It would have been silly for teams not to call on Justin Jefferson before his extension last offseason. That didn’t mean the Vikings ever considered moving him elsewhere. The same line of thinking applies to the head coach, and now he’s here to stay.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
You must be logged in to post a comment.